Read Mixed User Reviews for Mass Effect: Andromeda on PlayStation 4

Filaton

Mar 21, 2017

6

I was kind of worried what might happen to this game after I saw DA:Inquisition. It's definitely not a 0/10 game like a lot of people are giving it in their tantrums but I definitely wouldn't rate it higher than 6/10, maybe 7/10 tops.

Long story short, the game just feels forced in all areas. If we bypass the horrid animations, which is kind of hard to do in an RPG, it still feels likeI was kind of worried what might happen to this game after I saw DA:Inquisition. It's definitely not a 0/10 game like a lot of people are giving it in their tantrums but I definitely wouldn't rate it higher than 6/10, maybe 7/10 tops.

Long story short, the game just feels forced in all areas. If we bypass the horrid animations, which is kind of hard to do in an RPG, it still feels like they only thought of the number of hours people would have to spend on getting through this game as a quality assurance. I would've been fine with a much more compact game if it was full of meaningful characters, events and the like, instead of this Skyrim ****… Expand

MNSUAngel

Mar 30, 2017

7

This review and subsequent score have been edited after playing more of the game. An additional paragraph has been added to the bottom of the review.

This is my first review. I felt it was necessary given the situation. ME:A is not a bad game. It is however, not a good game. I would go so far as to say it is more of a "mass effect clone" than a mass effect game. That may seem harsh,This review and subsequent score have been edited after playing more of the game. An additional paragraph has been added to the bottom of the review.

This is my first review. I felt it was necessary given the situation.

ME:A is not a bad game. It is however, not a good game. I would go so far as to say it is more of a "mass effect clone" than a mass effect game. That may seem harsh, but if you try it out, you will understand. If you are a huge fan, and have played the originals for hundreds of hours, you will really understand what I mean.

For the people saying that there are no animation glitches - that is true. I have not experienced animation glitches, but the game does have very poor animations. First year in animation school bad. And they are plentiful. It would be one thing if they were some side character off in the distance, but this game takes about a decade or two of steps back in animation. It is painful sometimes. Like physically so.

The characters are not as bad as some people have made them out to be. I can tell that they wanted them to feel familiar without being too similar to the characters we grew to love in previous games. But, I do think they miss a beat with poor introductions and poor followup. If you take my advice (listed below), you will see what I mean, but this tends to repeat itself.

Combat is fun. I am playing on insanity difficulty and enjoying it. It is much more tactical and much more "cover-shooter" this way. The powers and abilities are excellent. There is an appropriate amount of depth in this system. Sometimes I feel my companions are not really helping, but I am supposed to be the real BAMF - not them - so that is fine. Nothing more to say here.

The writing is sub par. And ultimately, it isn't what defeats the game or the experience. There have been plenty of games with poor writing that are still fun (some even make it top 100 games of all time list), and it isn't as if ME:A doesn't have a good premise or a good general story. But - and you will see this if you take my advice (listed below) - between 30% - 50% of the dialog is just... bad. I get the sense that whoever wrote it is just not cut out to be a writer, but I don't want to attack anyone. The truth is that a lot of the issues ME:A suffers from should have been noticed and fixed by upper management. In general, it feels as if the game had zero oversight. Writing is one of those things.

The scanning system, exploration system, and crafting system are all excellent. If that is what Mass Effect is, I am writing the wrong review. These systems are great. I believe these systems/mechanics were fleshed out very well in comparison to the problem areas. I do not know much about game development, but I do know that I would take ME:A without any of these systems if it meant the animations were at least on par with the other games, the characters were properly delivered, and the writing was better. Because those three things are more important to me than fleshed out systems like the ones above.

My advice is to buy the game on steam and give it the hour it deserves. I believe you will see what I have come to see, and that is that this game is more of an off-shoot, or a clone, than it is Mass Effect. And it really has nothing to do with Shepard or the other Mass Effect games. This game has a great premise, I would even say a "Mass Effect Premise," but broadly speaking, it fails to deliver - on nearly everything. Its execution is its biggest issue.

So buy it and play for an hour on Steam (if you are on console, do not purchase this game until you have tried it). If you enjoyed that hour and were not bothered by the glaring issues, then by all means keep playing. If not, refund it through Steam and write a review of the game to help other people make a decision.

After 30+ hours, I can safely say that this is a journey worth taking. SPOILERS FOLLOW. However, I stand by what I said above. It is easy for me to look past the fact that half of the aliens that make ME's universe so amazing are missing. It is easy for me to look past the fact that animations are actually horrid. It is is easy for me to look past the fact that Bioware seems to be making their female character less attractive than the models they are based on (but not the male characters? - I thought this was propaganda but wtf it's actually not. Not to mention their personalities are lacking. Miranda, Liara, and Tali, please come back. You were all intelligent, powerful, and beautiful female characters. You were all someone my daughter could aspire to) I can even - unbelievably - look past the fact that most of the game's quests are fetch quests that are poorly written and just not very fun.

Here's why: Because what's left is actually good.… Expand

Raveen2112

Mar 30, 2017

6

I only played for a few hours, and couldn't even bring myself to care enough to keep going. It has so many features I "should" love, but the story, animations, and controls are show crappy I couldn't go on. Even the audio sucks. People can be talking, and without subtitles on, I wouldn't have a clue what they were saying because I wasn't fully facing them when I engaged in conversation.I only played for a few hours, and couldn't even bring myself to care enough to keep going. It has so many features I "should" love, but the story, animations, and controls are show crappy I couldn't go on. Even the audio sucks. People can be talking, and without subtitles on, I wouldn't have a clue what they were saying because I wasn't fully facing them when I engaged in conversation. Basically, I agree with every negative thing I've heard. It's boring and unfinished.
Update: After playing it for a week, I can honestly say it got much better once I figured out how to do a lot of things. It really is overly complicated. The facial mechanics are garbage for sure, and the dialog is funny it's so bad, but it is rewarding to build new colonies, and see everything evolve. Updating my rating to a 6 now that I've invested more time in it.… Expand

HitmanStryker

Mar 28, 2017

5

Mass Effect Andromeda; People are hating this game based on some of the characters rendering and animations, (especially women charters) as well as some of the writing. After playing twelve hours of the game I find myself with mixed feelings. The game is engaging on many levels but the good is outweighed by negative points that this game suffers from. First is the graphics, while some ofMass Effect Andromeda; People are hating this game based on some of the characters rendering and animations, (especially women charters) as well as some of the writing. After playing twelve hours of the game I find myself with mixed feelings. The game is engaging on many levels but the good is outweighed by negative points that this game suffers from. First is the graphics, while some of the graphics are on point in regards to the scenery and environment, some of the female characters look as if they are dead, no emotion, no facial expressions, and some of the characters voice actors sound as if they are just going through the motions instead of acting. The writing of the characters responses are laughable, like when the human character in charge of the Nexus says, "My face hurts..." or "You'll be a Pathfinder when you Path-find something"

In retrospect Mass Effect 3 had better character expressions and animation that Andromeda. Bio-Ware had five years to work on this game, one would think the game would look better, not worse. This game could have been awesome. The way it was released make it mediocre at best.… Expand

Makaveli

Mar 21, 2017

5

I got this game the 17th of March and I just cant play this game anymore.. I usually finish all my games before I review but this game is just too boring.. I was expecting a good story with awesome characters.... there is none of that which I think should be the primary focus in a Mass Effect game.. Yeah the facial animations are crap but i still play games from the 80s so it's notI got this game the 17th of March and I just cant play this game anymore.. I usually finish all my games before I review but this game is just too boring.. I was expecting a good story with awesome characters.... there is none of that which I think should be the primary focus in a Mass Effect game.. Yeah the facial animations are crap but i still play games from the 80s so it's not something i really care about.. I can understand that it breaks immersion but there is no immersion breaking anyway because the story and characters suck so they my as well have no face animations..

When you play a game it's suppose to grab you and make you want to continue playing. This game actually did the opposite for me, I rather go to work then play this game..

The combat is a bit improved over the other mass effect games but that is not saying much considering recent other games have much better combat..

The game is "okay" but I expected much better from a Mass Effect game.… Expand

YendorNostrebor

Mar 21, 2017

5

Art is not a democracy. It is a tyranny. We bow down before Shakespeare, Nina Simone, and Margaret Atwood because they are absolute monarchs of their craft and art. Please Bioware, hire the best.

It is breaking my heart to write this.

METROSLAYER

Mar 21, 2017

5

Game developed without "heart" and a thousand production problems.

The members of the old Bioware are gone,and it shows.

(PS: not EVER buy on day one)

AsmodeusML

Mar 21, 2017

5

Honestly, this game is such a huge letdown for me as a big fan of Mass Effect trilogy. After 20 hours in any of Bioware's trademark features (strong cast, voiceover, amazing design) are nowhere to be found. I wanted to give it a 1 but i realize that it's just the emotions speaking from huge disappointment i sense right now playing this, in fact i am so disappointed that this is the firstHonestly, this game is such a huge letdown for me as a big fan of Mass Effect trilogy. After 20 hours in any of Bioware's trademark features (strong cast, voiceover, amazing design) are nowhere to be found. I wanted to give it a 1 but i realize that it's just the emotions speaking from huge disappointment i sense right now playing this, in fact i am so disappointed that this is the first time i actually felt like rating something here. Rest in peace, BioWare. See you on the other side… Expand

Rem

Mar 21, 2017

7

After 52 hours, Mass Effect: Andromeda is quite perhaps the biggest fluctuations of enjoyment I've ever had. In some points, I was genuinely having a good time toying with the revamped combat and exploration and other times I am absolutely apalled at its technical state, with the stilted and uncomfortable facial animations sadly ringing true. Even more than that, the story and theAfter 52 hours, Mass Effect: Andromeda is quite perhaps the biggest fluctuations of enjoyment I've ever had. In some points, I was genuinely having a good time toying with the revamped combat and exploration and other times I am absolutely apalled at its technical state, with the stilted and uncomfortable facial animations sadly ringing true. Even more than that, the story and the characters that participate in it are of a lower quality than what we have come to expect from perhaps the greatest trilogy in gaming. Make no mistake, this still feels like Mass Effect with the core components present, but it is also the weakest of them.

Taking control of Ryder, players venture into the Andromeda Galaxy in hopes of starting a new life with the Milky Way races. The first hours don't leave a very good impression, swapping smart and intelligent dialogue of the games before with hammy, awkward dialogue that would be more right at home with an FX drama/comedy. It's not bad, and it's certainly allowed to be different from Shepard's adventures, but none of the characters made as much of an impact as Garrus, Liara, or Legion did and before anyone says "Well Shepard had 3 games!", this game is easily twice as long as any of the games in the Original Trilogy. It's not a matter of length, it's a matter how effectively you use that time. The story eventually goes somewhere and picks up, but it's more in the realm of movie blockbuster, with really predictable threads and a fairly cookie cutter villain. The story and dialogue is further hampered by the technical issues, none that made it unplayable, but definitely noticeable. If anything, you'll enjoy Andromeda's length and where it takes you. And the aforementioned facial animations are back, and they are quite sub-par. It doesn't bother me as much it did others, but when you combine that with dialogue that seldom delivers, it really gets to you.

The main focus this time seems to revolve around exploration and combat, both of which are significantly better. Classes are more or less done away with and instead you are allowed to mix and match however you please among the original 6 classes with a newly added one. The addition of the jump jet keeps the action frantic. It's amazingly still Mass Effect, but definitely evolved. The exploration also has seen a boost with absolutely large worlds to explore (though there aren't as much as you might think). Traversing with the nomad is leagues better than the mako and it always was entertaining if not for the fact that fetch quests are in abundance and most are as unengaging as the name implies. Overall, the quests flow more in the vein of Dragon Age: Inquisition than the Original Trilogy, and that's a damn shame. In addition, the menus are clunky and comparing equipment is a chore. The loyalty missions are what we've come to expect from a Mass Effect game, but it's the characters that sell it decently, rather than great.

It's important to also note that the developers of the Original Trilogy did not work on Andromeda, and it shows. The games is absolutely gorgeous while still retaining its large scale, but are inhabited by quests that do little more than mediocrity The characters (while interesting) aren't as memorable, and the plot (which is supposed to be a standalone and set a foundation for future titles) is only good enough instead of breaking the mold. Despite my criticisms, I very much enjoyed exploring the galaxy map (its rendition of Uncharted Worlds is amazing), combat and exploration are great, and the game is gorgeous. However, there is no denying that Andromeda is disappointing, not because it's a bad Mass Effect game, but because it stumbles in key components that takes any game beyond great. As it stands Andromeda is merely decent, a stepback from the constant amazing the OT delivered. This is not Shepard's favorite game in the Citadel.… Expand

fantasticknight

Mar 21, 2017

7

Mass Effect: Andromeda - the failure of the year. I know that now the fans of the series will attack me, but I will not change my opinion. BioWare spoiled the great trilogy.

Graphics + Locations + Atmosphere + (the only thing the game can boast) Characters - (no words, what a shame) Story - (does not cling) Optimization - (many bugs, friezes, unstable FPS on PS4 Pro) CustomizationMass Effect: Andromeda - the failure of the year. I know that now the fans of the series will attack me, but I will not change my opinion. BioWare spoiled the great trilogy.

Graphics +
Locations +
Atmosphere + (the only thing the game can boast)
Characters - (no words, what a shame)
Story - (does not cling)
Optimization - (many bugs, friezes, unstable FPS on PS4 Pro)
Customization - (little variation)
Side Quest - (awfully)
Animation - (I have no words)

I'm very upset because I've been waiting for this game for a long time. I was hoping that Andromeda would be at the level of the whole series, but how could I be wrong.… Expand

Wran

Apr 2, 2017

6

This game has real issues. Ignore the triggered anti-"SJW" crusaders. It's bad because of bad writing and animations. They've neglected the story to put more into MP and creating more action-based system. This was a bad decision.

MrAptronym

Mar 31, 2017

5

There is a fun gameplay core somewhere in Andromeda, but it is buried by a by-the-numbers plot, an awful user interface, terrible writing (really spectacularly bad at times), numerous glitches, and a structure that is mostly time-wasting filler.

As the game opens up over time you end up facing the same enemies and doing the same tasks, just with even more transport and downtime inThere is a fun gameplay core somewhere in Andromeda, but it is buried by a by-the-numbers plot, an awful user interface, terrible writing (really spectacularly bad at times), numerous glitches, and a structure that is mostly time-wasting filler.

As the game opens up over time you end up facing the same enemies and doing the same tasks, just with even more transport and downtime in between them. The entire game feels like meaningless padding around small moments of actual fun combat. Eventually even combat loses its thrill though, as you quickly figure out an optimum strategy for your build and will never be challenged to change it.

I think worst of all, the game completely fails to capture the spirit of exploration that I had hoped for. Universal translators, computer interfaces and even currencies carry over just fine between galaxies apparently, making very little actually seem new. Just as bad, most of the worlds you survey receive a single bland sentence as a descriptor. There is no joy in exploring the Helios cluster, only tedium.… Expand

pawss67

Mar 30, 2017

5

I bought the deluxe edition and then refunded it after beating the game. It was $100 CAD... ONE HUNDRED. I gave it a good chance, played through the main story and then did some multiplayer (which was a really fun horde mode, no sarcasm, the multiplayer is the best in the series) but... the characters were bland, the story was bland, the writing was cheesy. The animations were sub-par butI bought the deluxe edition and then refunded it after beating the game. It was $100 CAD... ONE HUNDRED. I gave it a good chance, played through the main story and then did some multiplayer (which was a really fun horde mode, no sarcasm, the multiplayer is the best in the series) but... the characters were bland, the story was bland, the writing was cheesy. The animations were sub-par but you get use to them after a while except when they make you laugh when it's supposed to be cute. Romancing the only interesting character, Vetra, you get a plastic-face Ryder when it's supposed to be touching. The voice acting was also... inconsistent.

The only thing I liked about it was the combat, but even that got boring when you were just doing fetch-quests or annoying scan missions. It was simply.... Not a good game, at most it was a 5/10. The racist and sexist pigs behind it was a real turn off, and with literally 95% of the game being disappointingly bland, they didn't deserve my money. especially when I was able to finish it in 17 hours and have no desire to replay it, or do any of the 100% viability tedium.

Is ME:A a horrible game? No. It's not a horrible game, it's not even a bad game, but it isn't a good one either. Wait until it goes on sale for a more reasonable price, $30.99 USD, $40.99 CAD.

TL;DR: The shockingly bland writing, missions, characters, and downright sub-par animations ruined the game. The sexist/racist pigs behind it made it even more refundable. The best combat of the series brings it up to a 5.5/10 in my books. I will buy it again when the price drops.… Expand

simulacra

Apr 1, 2017

7

A good game as far as games go, but it doesn't measure up to the rest of the Mass Effect trilogy, or other contemporary RPGs. The game's mediocrity comes from its half-baked story, bad pacing, and uninteresting characters. There are some good moments but they're few and far between. Much of the game feels empty and unfulfilled. There's an abundance of boring fetch-quests and uninspiredA good game as far as games go, but it doesn't measure up to the rest of the Mass Effect trilogy, or other contemporary RPGs. The game's mediocrity comes from its half-baked story, bad pacing, and uninteresting characters. There are some good moments but they're few and far between. Much of the game feels empty and unfulfilled. There's an abundance of boring fetch-quests and uninspired locations. I feel like too much time was spent creating massive, sprawling planets rather than coming up with cool and interesting locales. As for the characters, Lexi, Drack, and Vetra were the only ones who caught my interest, and even they left me wanting for more. Liam and Cora are awful: Liam's always talking about how he's crying about this or that; Cora likes to drone on about her asari training. Jaal is alright but I feel like he and Liam were written because of this absurd cultural movement to feminize men. Liam's always crying and saying its okay to cry and Jaal's always talking about his feelings, because he's so liberated. Peebee is annoying. She's always saying weird and awkward things that just feel out of place. She lacks depth and never really comes together. The Mass Effect series is about story and characters. That's what makes it great. This game focuses far, far too much on exploration and discovery. It's stretched so thin that none of it feels compelling. I'm disappointed.… Expand

Jesp1

Apr 5, 2017

6

Going to be as honest as possible. Despite the controversy it is an ok game.... Unfortunately despite the controversy it is an "OK" game.
-I have to at least drop it one point due to the animations people have seen, because yes.... They are that bad.
-The writing is also comically bad, if people were hating on GITS movie (for a comparison) this is many steps below it. Poor plotGoing to be as honest as possible. Despite the controversy it is an ok game.... Unfortunately despite the controversy it is an "OK" game.
-I have to at least drop it one point due to the animations people have seen, because yes.... They are that bad.
-The writing is also comically bad, if people were hating on GITS movie (for a comparison) this is many steps below it. Poor plot points, cheesy interactions, many WTF moments.
-Gameplay is solid, though I miss many aspects of other games.... Unfortunately this is made worse by boring settings and quests.
-Overall the game is a 6-7. I would be tempted to drop it lower because of the racist PoS Manveer Heir (King curry Thunder) but really its not fair to anyone else who has worked on this project. That being said it is a high 6 (or low 7). Not bad enough to not buy, but probably wait for a significant discount.… Expand

AnimeKing

Mar 31, 2017

5

It's an amazing experience of a turd sandwich.

Graphics, of course we all have heard the faces look really bad, which they are, but it looks great the Andromeda galaxy looks so good. Until you start playing it. I've had a couple of times someone on my team went into 'T' pose, the rocks and flowers would remain flat on the ground. These are just a few that I can remember. Sound, ItIt's an amazing experience of a turd sandwich.

Graphics, of course we all have heard the faces look really bad, which they are, but it looks great the Andromeda galaxy looks so good. Until you start playing it. I've had a couple of times someone on my team went into 'T' pose, the rocks and flowers would remain flat on the ground.
These are just a few that I can remember.

Sound, It can be good but nothing that pops out at me just background noise, Until you play it for a while. The music cuts out so all I here is the sound effects for about 30sec. to 1min at a time, Voices don't match up a lot of the time with the text, and sometimes all sound is lost for a period at a time.

Gameplay, This is what kept me coming back wanting to finish it instead of quiting. some people say it plays like Mass Effect 1 I think it plays like Mass Effect 3 but whatever, It's a cover based 3rd person shoot. The ability to choose what you want to be then level abilities of your own choice instead of like the old ones where you chose a class then get stuck with whatever you chose. I played as an engineer using the turret and keeping the overload ability. I was an Assault Rifle user, who switched to the P.A.W. which is an AR but shoots a beam, and used Sniper Rifles.
But just like the others there are problems, and a lot of them. I've fell through the floor, got stuck in the floor, fell through the floor survived with no health and got stuck down there, for some reason my game would stutter as if I was lagging even when I wasn't online, my jumps didn't want to work all the time I either wouldn't jump or I would jump slightly and fall to my death, sometimes when they threw grenades and I hit the dodge button twice I'd still get hit even when not in range, towards the end all of these became way more frequent.
I put out my comments on the game and some people have never seen most or any of these issues, I feel like I just got 1 of the **** copies.

Story, Isn't bad but nor was it good it's milky way galaxy jumping to a new galaxy to inhabit, really that's it. make outposts here and there, mutiny happened , make new friends, and do just about the same stuff you did in the other Mass Effect games.

Multiplayer, I played 2 matches, it's like Mas Effect 3 it's just hoard mode, need to get points from matches to get new better gear to go back into the matches and kill easier. In each match their are objectives like, kill everything, hack the objective, etc. it's ok but the microtransactions are way more expensive then ME3. The highest loot crate is worth 100,000 points if you buy it with money it's worth $100 just for 5 random rare items and a chance to get an ultra-rare.

Overall, Gameplay is worth it I'd definitely say play it if you can but atleast with my experience on it, it's not worth $60 more of a $40 game.
It's a 5/10 because you can play and these issues can be fixed it's just not worth the $60, if you really want to play it borrow it from a friend or rent it.… Expand

Protodeus

Apr 1, 2017

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wide as an ocean, but as deep as a puddle. That's how I would describe ME: Andromeda. There is a dizzying amount of content in this game, but very little of it is rewarding, fun or challenging. I absolutely adore the original trilogy, and it is probably one of my favorite game series of all time, and I really wanted to like Andromeda. But after 60+ hrs of gameplay, I just felt bored, uninterested and ultimately angry, because this didn't feel like a Mass Effect game at all. It felt like some bro-ey, fan fiction that tried and failed to replicate what made the original trilogy so amazing.

And this is ultimately where Andromeda falls flat on its face. The writing. The writing is, for lack of a better word, lackluster. The story is bland and uninspired, with boring two dimensional villains, a backstory that receives little to no further explanation, and characters who are completely forgettable. Near the end of the game I was actually skipping over cut-scenes because I was so thoroughly uninterested in the characters and their motivations. Your "choices" have little to no impact on the direction of the story, and there is no emotional weight behind anything that happens in Andromeda simply because it's hard to find any of it all that interesting. The loyalty missions are forgettable as well. The game also tries way too hard to be funny, and was way too generous with levity. Yes, there was humor in the original trilogy, but this was complemented by some very serious and emotional moments. It feels like nothing is taken seriously in Andromeda, so why do we care when anything important happens? The script is riddled with sarcasm that doesn't work. For instance, there is a pretty important moment near the beginning where Ryder loses a family member, and 2 minutes later he's making jokes and pretending like nothing bad happened. That is bad writing.

That is to say nothing of the horrendous character animations, the fact that all the alien races looking exactly the same (all of the asari and salarians have exactly the same faces, with different facial markings), and the subpar voice acting. I will give the game credit for its planet environments, which are stunningly gorgeous. Elaaden and Havarl in particular are incredibly beautiful. i also love the Tempest and how you can now look out the windows to see where you are in the galaxy. But exploration soon becomes tedious and repetitive, since you basically do exactly the same thing with every planet. The UI is also terrible. The gunplay is fun and fluid, and I definitely thought it was a step up from the original trilogy.

Unfortunately everything about this game reeks of laziness and lack of polish. It's like Bioware had no idea what made the original games so beloved, and tried to make a cheap imitation that has neither the soul or the depth. There are no amazing moments like Virmire, Tuchanka, Rannoch or the Suicide Mission. There are no moments where you have to reflect on your decisions. And because of this, the player has no emotional investment in the story or its characters. I got so bored near the end that I began skipping cut-scenes just to finish, because I didn't care anymore.

It's really unfortunate that Andromeda is so mediocre. EA was given an IP with so much potential, and they squandered it. Is Andromeda a bad game? Not necessarily. There is still some fun to be had, and I enjoyed exploring the galaxy in a way. But if you're a fan of the original games, you will probably be disappointed because this game fails to match up to them in almost every way. An RPG with a bad story and uninteresting characters is going to fall apart, and that's exactly what has happened here. Just going back and playing the original Mass Effect, listening to Vigil speak on Ilos... there just is nothing in Andromeda that matches it. It's hollow, cheaply made, uninspired, bland and revels in its own mediocrity.

What an absolute shame.… Expand

dyinginbeauty

Apr 1, 2017

6

After 9 and a half hours in I can safely say that this is at its core a decent role playing game offering a considerable amount of content with an engaging story, but it simply falls short by being an unpolished mess. It is glitchy, and the controls, particularly in tight areas are pretty shoddy - to the point where it is in parts unplayable.

As a fan of the ME trilogy i had to pickAfter 9 and a half hours in I can safely say that this is at its core a decent role playing game offering a considerable amount of content with an engaging story, but it simply falls short by being an unpolished mess. It is glitchy, and the controls, particularly in tight areas are pretty shoddy - to the point where it is in parts unplayable.

As a fan of the ME trilogy i had to pick this up on day one, and approached it with an open mind - it is not as bad as some say, but it should never have been released in this state. Future patches wont make up for this... EA should be ashamed.

The combat system is deep, more than in the original trilogy, and the story is good too. Would have been a solid game if it were finished.… Expand

dr0nzer

Apr 1, 2017

6

I gave this game a real chance, spending in excess of over 40 hours in this world and I have to say... it wasn't what I expected. Having played all previous mass effect titles I can safely say that this one does not live up to the name and I feel the developers are riding on the success of the mass effect franchise here.
There is a lot of depth in the game but it's unpolished and it feelsI gave this game a real chance, spending in excess of over 40 hours in this world and I have to say... it wasn't what I expected. Having played all previous mass effect titles I can safely say that this one does not live up to the name and I feel the developers are riding on the success of the mass effect franchise here.
There is a lot of depth in the game but it's unpolished and it feels like this game is more quantity than quality. There are a lot of bugs which can be overlooked but the problem for me is that you don't feel like you really accomplish much in the game, after spending an hour or so in there, you leave thinking "I didn't really do much" which is true as you'll spend almost 60% of that time waiting for load screens, watching pointlessly long transfer animations whether it's landing on a planet or travelling to another system, it feels padded out and a waste of time.
The side quest system is junk, it's comparable with Final Fantasy 15 which is just horrendous, they don't add a lot of depth and the majority are just fetch quests and stupid things, a crap ton of back tracking just to pad out the game time, I don't feel a lot of thought went into it, if there was it doesn't really show.
Combat system is probably the only thing worth praising, it's great but it's clouded by systems that are too over complicated and not stream lined, again going for quantity vs quality.
There are good things with the game but it gets clouded by all the junk and crap.
This title needed another year or two in development and almost 75% of the things in this game can be toned down or outright removed as it serves no real purpose to the world or story.… Expand

RealMuthaF

Dec 26, 2017

7

Considering all the hate this game's got, I've decided to write a few words in its defense.

Mass Effect Andromeda is not a bad game. Having spent 69.5 hours in its campaign and 5 more in multiplayer, I mostly enjoyed my time. Hell, if I didn't, I wouldn't have played this long. The game's got good graphics (especially the vistas), improved combat and this advertised sense ofConsidering all the hate this game's got, I've decided to write a few words in its defense.

Mass Effect Andromeda is not a bad game. Having spent 69.5 hours in its campaign and 5 more in multiplayer, I mostly enjoyed my time. Hell, if I didn't, I wouldn't have played this long. The game's got good graphics (especially the vistas), improved combat and this advertised sense of exploration, of being a pioneer. And it works. While the original trilogy was about a massively populated universe where humans are just another race, in Andromeda the whole Milky Way expedition is around 100.000 souls, the resources are scarce, and it's up to you to find a new home.

Now I can't deny Andromeda also has plenty of issues, which I would structure into three main categories.

Gameplay:
While the combat has become much more fluid and agile with the welcome addition of jump jets, I found it irritating how close the camera was to the character with weapons drawn, severely limiting the field of view. Some other decisions like having to leave the planet every time you board the Tempest, some abilities dependent on power cells, and the lack of tactical pause are also questionable.

Story:
Let's be honest, the old ME games could not boast any original story. It was just a dude assembling forces to fight giant space prawns. For 3 games straight. Here the main plot mostly mirrors the first game, with the protagonist being the only one able to interface with some derelict tech from an ancient race (Protheans/Jaardan) while fighting enemies who represent a much larger ominous force (Reapers/Kett). While things are pretty straightforward, the game does manage to set up things nicely for the much larger populated galaxy with the huge Kett empire lurking within. I would say, however, that the antagonist is very boring, there was plenty of cringy dialogue, there could have been more original races, and that the squadmate roster is inferior compared to the old games.

Engine:
I bought the game in version 1.10, with improved animations and fixed bugs. There still were occasional crashes, freezes, glitched animations and quests, but it wasn't really bothersome. I do imagine though, that if these were much more abundant at game's launch, I would have been pissed.

To sum up, the fact that ME Andromeda was basically broken at launch is inexcusable for any AAA blockbuster and a continuation of a popular franchise, and I understand where the hate was coming from. Still, in its current state and for the current price (got it for like 20$) it's well worth picking up. If you are a fan of the old MEs, or RPG's and Sci-Fi in general, I would honestly recommend it.… Expand

cossayos

Apr 2, 2017

5

I'm about ten hours in, so this is not a final verdict.

What this game lacks is immersion. I wanted to lose myself in it and instead it feels like a grind. With the first three titles I was immediately hooked on the story and the characters and spent hours exploring the Normandy and if my companions had anything new to say. Not here. You see, I can live with the often criticizedI'm about ten hours in, so this is not a final verdict.

What this game lacks is immersion. I wanted to lose myself in it and instead it feels like a grind. With the first three titles I was immediately hooked on the story and the characters and spent hours exploring the Normandy and if my companions had anything new to say. Not here. You see, I can live with the often criticized dialogue. It's not as bad as some make it out to be. I also had no runins with outright cringeworthy animations. To be fair, previous games of the series weren't big on that either.

The game just feels bland compared to the previous titles. 10 hours and I didn't have a single memorable moment or conversation with my crew. It's also the little details, such as only three outfits being available to choose from. Long sleeves, short sleeves and jacket. Admitted, and as I said, a small detail, but it points to the lack of customisation of your character that's rather obvious right from the start and the creation menu.

Combat, well, I feel mostly reminded of ME1. The AI seems to be dead on arrival and you go through the usual dropped in hordes you have to shoot up. Jetpack is a nice addition but it doesn't save the day.

Some here have compared the game to DA:I. I can only say, I'd wish. With DA:I exploring was fun and there was always something new to discover. With this one, the environment is huge but largely empty.

It's not outright bad. And I can only advise the ones who hook their reviews on terms like SJW or anti white racism to get a life. But it's bland, mediocre. I will finish it in time. Not as fast as the previous titles, but I think I will. If that changes my impressions of the first ten hours, I will write a new review and add a new score.… Expand

p1menta

Sep 9, 2019

6

this is not a 4.9-bad game.
there's A LOT of bugs and things that dont work as it should and even things that just doesnt work at all. it's frustrating as hell.but there are too cool things. i dont know what went wrong, but it's creal there is a sequence planned, i hope as hell they will fix everything. the story is still very good, and i couldnt not care about the races and the planetsthis is not a 4.9-bad game.
there's A LOT of bugs and things that dont work as it should and even things that just doesnt work at all. it's frustrating as hell.but there are too cool things. i dont know what went wrong, but it's creal there is a sequence planned, i hope as hell they will fix everything. the story is still very good, and i couldnt not care about the races and the planets and the people. specially your teammates. the last fight is not as good as it could be, i wanted to stay in the war. fighting against the anchont shoud be in the midle of everyone else.
to summarize, it's an ok game, not as terrible as i thought it would be (it took me a long time to play, even though i loved so much the first trilogy, cuz everyone said this one was terrible) but it's not a good game either… Expand

linkenski

Apr 3, 2017

5

Mass Effect: Andromeda - the game that didn't need to be but was made anyway. After the disaster that was ME3's ending controversy which was just as poorly handled as the ending in question BioWare decided to listen to fans and make another entry in the series as a form of new beginnings since the canonical end-point of 3 made it impossible to continue the story of the original setting inMass Effect: Andromeda - the game that didn't need to be but was made anyway. After the disaster that was ME3's ending controversy which was just as poorly handled as the ending in question BioWare decided to listen to fans and make another entry in the series as a form of new beginnings since the canonical end-point of 3 made it impossible to continue the story of the original setting in any organic way. The idea became to go to the neighbour galaxy with a select few species from the original trilogy, a new protagonist and a new set of circumstances. A lot of it has actually been potentially promising but whenever the game shows shimmers of hope about its more original themes it discards them in favor of telling a tired and safe, watered down version of Mass Effect 1's plot. It's Mass Effect: The Force Awakens, all with a Mary Sue protagonist whose unsure and sometimes immature characterization (as a result of being 7 years younger than Shepard) is completely at odds with the incredible power-level the story grants him (or her). The coolest thing regarding the outset of the plot is that you have a sister and a dad who are both customizable to some extent and a few surprises down the road, but ultimately it doesn't mean much because it's still just a retelling of ME1; you have a the Neo-Geth, Neo-Reapers, Neo-Council, Neo-Saren all hidden under different names and art-directions such as the bony aliens called "The Kett" and the ominous, almost otherworldly force that threatens all existence called "The Scourge". The game actually has a cool central theme about colonization that diverges from its ME1-ness, but it never doubles down on this. Instead it feels like 3 different game visions in one package that don't go well together.

One other huge part of this game, arguably the largest, is that this game is Mass Effect Inquisition. Good luck spending 40 hours exclusively on just doing one unrewarding quest after another. BioWare attempted to make these types of quests more satisfying by increasing the amount of times the result in properly executed cutscenes with character-focus and choices but ultimately even the best of those questlines come up short when they abruptly end as the Journal ticks the objective as completed after an inconclusive dialogue led by a vague "good job" comment from either Ryder or his friends.

Speaking of friends, as always you've got a new cast alongside the protagonist and a ship they fly on. This is arguably the point where the record breaks and where the game dips below the point of merely "good enough". Granted, some companions are more fleshed out than others, almost every single one of them are introduced in the most nonchalant and indifferent way possible. You're given no reason to care about any of them because they have no story-related relevance that draws you in to wanting to know them better. Rather, you're going to have to take the initiative yourself to learn more about them through very stilted conversations (moreso than ever before) that eventually reveal a Loyalty mission and some forced endgame scenes to make their stories feel complete. While the loyalty missions are fine but nothing special, their endgame conversations feel forced because, much like the intro, it shows how aimless the game's direction is that these character never quite seem to have a reason to even be around you in the first place, and it doesn't help that from the RPG-standpoint your only interaction with these characters is how you level them up. No customization, very barebones tactical commands and barely any recognition about how well you know certain characters.

It all comes together (or rather, it doesn't) in a finale that feels completely seperate in flavor to the rest of the experience, like an almost Platinum-games styled final level where everything is super linear, action-y, your squadmates join you and they try to bring in every factor that has been prominent in the game... but this happens on a side of a main story that is laser focused on a "villain vs hero" story that just doesn't connect in a cohesive fashion with the themes of colonization, Ryder being inexperienced or him spending time with his friends.

That's the game in a nutshell. Andromeda simply does not seem to have a mission-statement. Its problems can all be traced back to its premise: It asks us "can we find new meaning away from the original Mass Effect by going to another setting?" and the answer is "we can, but it's not going to prove anything beyond that." I enjoyed my time with Andromeda but was often forcing myself just because I liked the previous games, and a day or two later I think Mass Effect as a franchise may have run its course when BioWare blew it back in 2012 with the third game's brand-damaging ending.… Expand

rosnk30

Jan 19, 2021

7

First of all I concluded it with 40% (without much effort), and other 60% of game is destined for secondary mission (boring missions). MEA has great graphics and gameplay content but storyline's sometimes is confused a lot.....

Game's too short too....

Ray67890

Apr 4, 2017

6

i am not a bioware fan, when i first try this game i feel the view is fantastic,but the main problem is the open world setting don't make me feel something interesting or some mission is memeroble .All i always keep doing things is that talking to AI or pick up some boring things like relic.So i think the bioware need to consider how to make a good story telling and make the open worldi am not a bioware fan, when i first try this game i feel the view is fantastic,but the main problem is the open world setting don't make me feel something interesting or some mission is memeroble .All i always keep doing things is that talking to AI or pick up some boring things like relic.So i think the bioware need to consider how to make a good story telling and make the open world more appealing .… Expand

PensionerR

Feb 11, 2021

7

Не слушайте обзорщиков, она может и слабее оригинальной трилогии, но точно стоит потраченного времени.

Cieloazure

Jan 29, 2018

7

8hrs into the game I lost motivation to keep playing for the mere fact the characters are boring(not by design, but personality), the story is completely uninspiring. Some of the characters feel rehashed from the previous Mass effect. Music and Graphics are standout for this game, I enjoyed that very much it's just not enough to keep me playing the story.
Graphics: 9.3
Gameplay: 98hrs into the game I lost motivation to keep playing for the mere fact the characters are boring(not by design, but personality), the story is completely uninspiring. Some of the characters feel rehashed from the previous Mass effect. Music and Graphics are standout for this game, I enjoyed that very much it's just not enough to keep me playing the story.
Graphics: 9.3
Gameplay: 9
Story: 6.5
Music: 8.5
The game has makings of being great, it just falls short on story and character.… Expand

vojta57

Jul 14, 2022

5

How far will you go? Well, certainly not as far as Bioware went to completely fvck up the game.

The outlines of the general plot and the setting are not bad at all, quite the contrary actually, however, whoever is responsible for writing the characters and their dialogues must've been taking huge dumps while doing so, because that's what the characters are — absolute shyt. Ryder is aHow far will you go? Well, certainly not as far as Bioware went to completely fvck up the game.

The outlines of the general plot and the setting are not bad at all, quite the contrary actually, however, whoever is responsible for writing the characters and their dialogues must've been taking huge dumps while doing so, because that's what the characters are — absolute shyt. Ryder is a spineless overgrown teenager whom (to whom! and your goddamn father…) most of his/her crew disrespect all the time. Tempest feels more like a freakshow whose members could use some time in the brig than a ship. At least Suvi can always "peck up something" for "Raider".

Another big issue is the facial animations or rather the lack thereof. I like to think the people got some Frostbite from the 600 years spent in cryo pods, and now their faces are tired from dealing with everything! Given that characters' lines won't make you laugh, the horrible animations is sadly the only thing that will.

The dialogue options don't seem to affect your game. You can only choose between being a whimp and, well, being a whimp with some extra cringe.

Also, why does every female krogan sound like a gay man?

The environments look great and the gameplay is pretty decent (not clunky like in the trilogy), which is a shame, as this shows the game had some potential. But unfortunately, some writer decided that only the most obnoxious people boarded the Andromeda Initiative ships…… Expand

QuisaLeah

Feb 14, 2018

7

It is a disappointment what has become of Bioware and the Mass Effect series. This game should not have been released when it was, it needed at least another 6 months and a team where someone was familiar with both the engine and the series. And you know who you have to thank for that mess? EA. EA announced this title too early, they gave it to a team that hadn't worked with the engine orIt is a disappointment what has become of Bioware and the Mass Effect series. This game should not have been released when it was, it needed at least another 6 months and a team where someone was familiar with both the engine and the series. And you know who you have to thank for that mess? EA. EA announced this title too early, they gave it to a team that hadn't worked with the engine or the series before, they forced it out the door too soon, and they blamed the people that worked hard on it when all of that backfired.

Yes, the game did come out with technical issues. Yes, there were plot and dialogue based issues. But this game was not - IS NOT - the burning **** fire that some people unjustly called it.

They at least didn't make an open world (worlds?) game where the spaces there were too large were filled with endless meaningless fetch quests that forever had you running from one side of the map to the other in order to complete them. The characters are interesting and worth pursuing conversations with outside of those that are required.

It is a shame that there probably won't be anymore content for this game, or for the series for some time now, as unusually I was looking forward to some that the plot itself had set up for.… Expand

DrFriendless

Jun 9, 2018

5

I played a few hours of the demo and wasn't really thrilled by the story. The controls for looking at the character and choosing weapons were nice, but the gameplay felt a bit like Uncharted and I was hoping for more than that.

BigKevfl

Jan 15, 2020

5

Pros : Vast worlds to explore
Nomad Vehicle. (Walking everywhere sucks) Great weapon selection
Choosing your own mission order :) More "Adult" content as for cutscenes Better combat. Tech. Better playability. Big galaxies to explore. Architect and building settlement ability. Big worlds and lots of missions. Cons: After all the do Gooding and busting your butt to fix the entire galaxy ,Pros : Vast worlds to explore
Nomad Vehicle. (Walking everywhere sucks) Great weapon selection
Choosing your own mission order :)
More "Adult" content as for cutscenes
Better combat. Tech. Better playability. Big galaxies to explore. Architect and building settlement ability. Big worlds and lots of missions. Cons:

After all the do Gooding and busting your butt to fix the entire galaxy , romances are very short on content Very limited amount of romantic options for full on interactions

Lots of go here then there and back over here during missions. You feel like a housemaid sometimes Overall a very decent game and a GOOD LONG title to enjoy. My only suggestion is give a guy much more romance and fun to break up the monotony between cleaning up everyone else's mess and give us some choices on what becomes of the galaxy :)

Not a whole lot of Destiny affecting choices as in the first games Only one love interest allowed. Such a waste… Expand

D3nver30

Jun 30, 2022

6

This game is like P*rn
The story suck but the action is really great, I really enjoyed the combat mechanics and the exploration in this game

connor_shand

Mar 25, 2017

5

i was really enjoying the game up until around the 30 hour mark. that is when i encountered a lot of bugs along with crashes, enemies floating in the air, some not properly loading into the game and simply standing there all on top of each other, drop ships coming out of the ground. The game was not finished upon release.

One of my main issues in regards to the story was the executioni was really enjoying the game up until around the 30 hour mark. that is when i encountered a lot of bugs along with crashes, enemies floating in the air, some not properly loading into the game and simply standing there all on top of each other, drop ships coming out of the ground. The game was not finished upon release.

One of my main issues in regards to the story was the execution of the "find the Arcs" story lines i was really looking forward to them, the Asari ones writing seemed pretty weak, whilst the Turian one was finished in about 2 minutes once you find the ship, it seemed like it was going to be the more interesting of the two i have found thus far. most likely that is because these are classed as secondary missions, which was a big mistake in my mind. i am much more interested in what happened to the other ships as opposed to the Ket. the arc falling flat on it's face really knocked my impression of the game i felt they could have been executed so much better

i feel that a lot of sequences are missing scenes, often you will open a door and you will be right into the conversation. you are missing reactions and build up in some scenes. the outposts just appear when you trigger it unlike the first one made. there is so much in this game in regards to side quests it seems they ran out of time thus it is missing elements that would round some of them off.

this game came out too early that is the bottom line. issues that are usually left till last to fix were left in a broken state because they evidently ran out of time. it is most likely that the scenes required to finish or help these scenes seem more natural, were not finished, thus not added to the game, leaving us with some story missions jumping us around the area with no player interaction. a lot of the scenes just don't feel right. Outposts being a big issues in regards to unfinished cut scenes, as they seem to be non existent. they tried to put too much in and came up short this is the result.… Expand

Cervant

Mar 31, 2017

5

So much bugs, animation is horrible, story so-so...

I don't know if it's a bug, but there's about no Music going on, when walking in the Nexus or anywhere it's mostly silent. There's no background sounds or only a little. The game play is very cool, though. But there isn't much of fight, probably 80% of searching for a quest that is unclear. Oh and the cut-scene before entering aSo much bugs, animation is horrible, story so-so...

I don't know if it's a bug, but there's about no Music going on, when walking in the Nexus or anywhere it's mostly silent. There's no background sounds or only a little.

The game play is very cool, though. But there isn't much of fight, probably 80% of searching for a quest that is unclear.

Oh and the cut-scene before entering a planet or anything that required a cut-scene to get there, are awful, probably add a good 20 hours of that for completing the game.

It's a real let down, really disappointed.

Played 70 hours/66% completion. There's a lot of side quests.

EDIT : Change my note from 4 to 6/10. Because it gives a lot play time, i must give that and a bunch of good laugh (animations).

Finished the game now and I lowered to 5/10. 80 hours / 96% completion.

Romance are not worked, there's no scene like in the past, even if it's a Rated M. I have the feeling they didn't bother to give more depth in the relationship of the characters.

It's a good 3rd person shooter. Not a story telling game. Well, I did not feel involved, no hard choice in the end.… Expand

Killga

Mar 27, 2017

6

I have some trouble rating this. I actually bought an XBOX 360 back in the day just to be able to play Mass Effect (1) when it came out. So far the best I can say is that its presentation is quite uneven and unconsistant. Graphics are amazing at one point (say in-system travel and some places and dialogues) and at the next time they are quite awful. Take the Nexus and its crew - it justI have some trouble rating this. I actually bought an XBOX 360 back in the day just to be able to play Mass Effect (1) when it came out. So far the best I can say is that its presentation is quite uneven and unconsistant. Graphics are amazing at one point (say in-system travel and some places and dialogues) and at the next time they are quite awful. Take the Nexus and its crew - it just looks as it was left halfway unfinished (the design not the Nexus itself) and/or done by some interns. Also my female Ryder looks great at times and then its just awful. So far the story seems relatively interesting although its a bit too much "Kids with guns in space" and I feel the Kett offer nothing new so far. It has been said and critizised that all Asari and Salarian look the same - just another sign of the lackluster design Bioware has displayed all the way back to Dragon Age II (copy/paste Dungeon design).… Expand

Masseffect

Mar 28, 2017

6

I am an absolute massive Mass Effect fan with that being said this game has most definitely captured my interest and I am going to put so many hours into this game. That being said it is by no means for everyone. The game is massive and can be repetitive at times and by no means has is it at the top of the graphics or animations game. In fact there is a ton of glitches and bugs that takeI am an absolute massive Mass Effect fan with that being said this game has most definitely captured my interest and I am going to put so many hours into this game. That being said it is by no means for everyone. The game is massive and can be repetitive at times and by no means has is it at the top of the graphics or animations game. In fact there is a ton of glitches and bugs that take away from the game experience. Some of them are small and so can be huge and make you shut off your console and come back into the game. Now even with all that this game is an experience you can jump in and just explore space and have a brand new experience in the Mass Effect universe. The combat has been updated and is extremely fun and smooth! I can use my biotic abilities to jump around the battlefield and destroy the enemy with my shotgun! Or I can just go into the pause menu and switch to my tech abilities and lay back and steal the enemies shields or go invisible and sneak around the battlefield and snipe them. You can play your way and its a ton of fun! The story line is not the strongest but I believe that it is like the original Mass Effect where it is not the best but it is building to something bigger and better to come.… Expand

absoluterfreak

Mar 27, 2017

6

I am 40 hours in and a big fan of the original ME trilogy.

Pros: - Combat is pretty fun, and so is jumping around with the jetpack. You can mix up your skills at will, and I am having lots of fun as a soldier/sniper with biotic support powers. - The Tempest crew is likeable and interacts really well. There's lots of banter to be had and it feels very organic. Vetra and Drack areI am 40 hours in and a big fan of the original ME trilogy.

Pros:
- Combat is pretty fun, and so is jumping around with the jetpack. You can mix up your skills at will, and I am having lots of fun as a soldier/sniper with biotic support powers.

- The Tempest crew is likeable and interacts really well. There's lots of banter to be had and it feels very organic. Vetra and Drack are awesome.

- Kadara is by far the coolest planet with lots of ME2/Omega vibes.

- It's nice that we have a vehicle again and the Nomad is pretty cool.

- The Tempest is pretty cool. Might even surpass the Normandy, design-wise.

Cons:
- well, everyone has heard this already, but yeah the animations. Or just, the technical side in general. Some characters look fine and other seem like they're fresh out of 2007. Suvi looks especially terrible, it's like her hair is an orange jellyfish. Apart from main characters, faces don't look much better than the first ME. Sara Ryder looks ok but has a little smile on her face all the time, even 5 mins after somebody's death or while stuck in a trap and facing the villain.

- Story so far is whatever. Started off well, but loses itself among the tons of filler content. No sense of urgency or drama, no emotional impact so far, very weak villain. Could become better but I doubt it.

- TOO MUCH CONTENT. As expected, it has the 'Dragon Age Inquisition' problem of having gigantic areas with just so many side quests. At least it makes more sense this time, being the pathfinder and all, but I still cannot be bothered to pick up every tiny fetch quest. I don't understand why Bioware/EA suddenly wants open world, and I'd prefer they cut half of the content and focus on a good story.

- it is not possible to be 'evil'. The best you can do is play Ryder as a bit cold and logical, but you are really limited. Want to try being a dick to the Angara, or taking resources by force to be a ruthless invader of Andromeda? Well too bad because you can't. Ryder never becomes 'your' character like Shepard did.

- SAM will not shut the **** up. After he has told you for the 1000th time that a region can be mined, or you should use your scanner, or 'radiation increases - radiation at normal levels - radiation increases' while you drive, it gets SLIGHTLY annoying.

- When you drive across a planet, there's random enemy spawns everywhere. The nomad has no weapons (seriously, why) so you either just blast past them while Ryder says 'we should check that out', or you get out, fight them, get back in every 2 minutes.

- New alien races are disappointing. Angara are pretty lame, look weird and don't fit into the ME universe imo. Kett seem straight out of Dragon Age. Remnant have pretty cool vaults at least.

- 'Interrupt' actions are a joke, I had 4 of them in 40 hours of game so far and 3 of them basically made no difference.… Expand

Djursner

Mar 28, 2017

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Okay, so I have now completed the game and I am sad to say that this is the worst Mass Effect title so far. What happened this time is that I did not complete the game 100% before moving onto the epilogue, but left out a few planet systems and small tasks. This has never happened before to me. I would always take great pride in finishing every little bit of Bioware’s games.

I knew about the character animations being joked about when I started, and I had my experiences with it as well. I do not know why, but the human animations and faces were much poorer than the aliens'. Further, the human human female faces were horrible compared to human males' faces.

I do not know if this plays onto the Bioware SJW problem or if Bioware's animators are just terrible at designing humans but good at designing aliens. Also, romance is a big deal of Bioware’s games and I found it quite weird and dangerous to speak with my companions. I had to watch out so much not to end up in a gay relationship with some of my male companions. Maybe add gay/bisexual modifier in the options? None of the female companions were attractive, and the only human female which was heterosexual, Cora, looked like a lesbian.

Okay back to the game. The game started off with amazement. Everything was new, and you had a whole galaxy to explore... Then... Slowly... It became the same, over and over. You began hating all of the travelling time between planets and systems in Andromeda. Goddamn unescapable cut scenes for every flight, which made exploring planets unnecessarily tedious. Make the cut scenes skippable when you are done loading!!!

Andromeda was big, but it was just a big load of the same materials used over and over. Bioware had focused too much on quantity and too little on quality. Now, Andromeda is NO way as big as the Witcher 3. Andromeda feels big because there are so many planets to visit but you can only visit 4-5 planets in total. Every other Bioware game actually felt bigger than Andromeda, they felt bigger due to the quality they had.

And then there are the options in your dialogues. You cannot be evil in Mass Effect Andromeda. The Angarans fear that you come as conquerors, but you can never act like one. It is all about appeasement and creating a social circle. You thought sacrificing the Council in ME1 was evil? Well… Here you can sacrifice… Nobody, and nobody important is at the risk of dying.

Lastly, the epilogue. Without too many spoilers, I would say that it was the least fist-pumping moment. It was more built to lead up to the next Mass Effect game, but had nowhere the same vibe that Mass Effect 1 had.

I am not sure if Bioware is the Bioware that was capable of creating Dragon Age Origins and ME1 and 2. They have lost of a lot of the old employees and seem more focused on diversity of characters and sexuality, and quantity over quality.

One last topic. Bugs. They exist and some of them made me go crazy. It is the kind of bugs that force you to load over to a previous save because a quest is broken.

They had 5 years since ME3 and 3 years since DAI to create this game. They went the wrong way. The game is not worth its price. I would advise you to save your money until it is patched and the price has dropped.

I repeat. The game is not worth it with its current price and its current state. Try it in a year.… Expand

Interesting_inc

Mar 27, 2017

6

Mass Effect was promised to be the best of the Mass Effect franchise, we were promised that we were gonna see, hear and feel Mass Effect Andromeda in a way that we've never done a Mass Effect game before. This was gonna be the one that made up for the ending of mass effect 3, but BioWare did not deliver on the promise they made, the game feels more like Dragon Age: Inquisition which is notMass Effect was promised to be the best of the Mass Effect franchise, we were promised that we were gonna see, hear and feel Mass Effect Andromeda in a way that we've never done a Mass Effect game before. This was gonna be the one that made up for the ending of mass effect 3, but BioWare did not deliver on the promise they made, the game feels more like Dragon Age: Inquisition which is not as bad as people might think, Dragon Age Inquisition was a great game and if they made it better I would've been satisfied but BioWare didn't deliver on anything except for the graphics and gameplay. The gameplay was better than previous game as well as how the game looked except for the facial animations. The story is weaker than previous games as well as the characters, the multiplayer stayed the same as before. If you are all about combat and multiplayer horde mode than this is the game for you, but if you want to enjoy the story and have fun with the characters you will not find this here in this game, In simpler words the story and characters were average at best and the music was not spot on It just didn't feel right, as for bugs I only had one bug in the game and It didn't take away from the experience and neither did the facial animations for me because I care more about the story. It is obvious that this game was not ready to be released yet and I am disappointed that BioWare didn't make this game they it should have been in the years they had to make it. This game is a 6 out of 10 despite it's story and characters being weak it looked beautiful most of the time(excluding facial animations) and the combat was fun if not for the combat this game would've been a 4 out of ten and I am hoping that BioWare fixes this with patches and free DLC because this game was not worth at the price they sold it. If you like to enjoy a story and have fun with characters this is not the game for you, on the other hand if you enjoy combat and multiplayer horde mode you will enjoy it.… Expand

carnesaasa

Mar 30, 2017

7

I cannot believe the number of negative "die everyone in Bioware" critics for this game, is it all good? no, is it all bad? no, could it have been better? of course. There are lots of games with almost the same repetitive quests or stories, and everyone enjoys them (ring any bells? Assassin's Creed, GTA, Destiny, MGS5, etc.). Many games are just plain repetitive and this one is justI cannot believe the number of negative "die everyone in Bioware" critics for this game, is it all good? no, is it all bad? no, could it have been better? of course. There are lots of games with almost the same repetitive quests or stories, and everyone enjoys them (ring any bells? Assassin's Creed, GTA, Destiny, MGS5, etc.). Many games are just plain repetitive and this one is just another one, go there kill someone or pick something or run from the bad guys or just lose time going around, every major "open world" game does the same. Personally I liked the game, it is massive, full of dialogue (as any RPG), full of choices and beautiful worlds. I am hoping for the updates and DLC's… Expand

mike299

Mar 22, 2017

5

nice combat system, buggy and unpolished, kinda repetitive, dialog wheel not representative of what the character says, soundtrack is average, all and all a typical Bioware game. Nothing Memorable about the characters or story. Haven't try multiplayer yet

Radoslavus

Mar 30, 2017

5

I understand that the new ME was hyped high (space high), and that too high expectations can cloud your judgement. That's why we have those bipolar reviews. They vary from a lot of 0's and 3's to 9's and 10's even. And I totally understand that, hype does that. But what I can't understand is why a AAA unfinished game is again defended with such commitement? Clearly all the ratings that areI understand that the new ME was hyped high (space high), and that too high expectations can cloud your judgement. That's why we have those bipolar reviews. They vary from a lot of 0's and 3's to 9's and 10's even. And I totally understand that, hype does that. But what I can't understand is why a AAA unfinished game is again defended with such commitement? Clearly all the ratings that are below 5 are unfair, but on the other hand all the scores above 7 are a joke. It applies to the critics as well as the players.

I think we lost the understanding of a AAA game, and the developers are using it every year, at least most of them. They want to drain us from cash without much effort, and the worst thing is that players let them do it.

What I require from a AAA game, and does ME Andromeda deliver:
1. Good and involving story and characters - I have to say not really. Story is bland and the characters are terrible.
2. Fun and satisfying gameplay - It's good, combat is a lot of fun, scaning , exploring ect. is also ok.
3. Graphics and animations - Bacgrounds looks stunning on different planets. Animations, lip sync ect. below any criticism. Some games from Ps 3 and Xbox 360 had better.
4. Good music sound and voice acting - Music is good, a little worse than in ME trilogy, but still pretty good. Backround sound, fighting sound is also quite good. Voice acting is terrible, shallow with lack of emotions.
5. Bug, glitch, crash free - I know it's imposible with so big games, but the fewer the better. I didn't have many issues, but I know from the intenet that there is a major problem.
6. Fun multiplayer, if there is one - Lazy horde mode with microtransactions, so basically there is none multiplayer. There is only an excuse for microtransactions.

To sum up. Andromeda would ba a fun game for players new to ME franchise. Of course it would be also a pretty good game, if Bioware was a newcommer. But they are not. They spend the last 4 years, with a decent budget and a know how, to deliver a dissapoitement, not only to the fans of Mass Effect trilogy, but also to other players with a common sense. It's not the worst game in the world, it's not a AAA game either. It's a product below the level of a studio that Bioware once was. A shame, I was counting on them.… Expand

aacak99022

Mar 26, 2017

7

i buy this game only to play multiplayer but there are many glitch and bugs in multiplayer. Sometimes this game can cause my ps4 to become no sound any more but when I close the game application, my ps4 bad normal again, this game is very broken to play online even more worse than ubisoft game like division.Beware for any person who want to buy this game for multiplayer

albasile

Mar 28, 2017

7

In many ways ME:A is much different than the ME trilogy especially in the combat mechanics and larger worlds. It comes closest to the original ME game in terms of exploration and discovery but ME:A surpasses the original game in terms of beautiful worlds, a slick new star ship, and ground vehicle. However the strengths that were present in the original trilogy in terms of a story, plotIn many ways ME:A is much different than the ME trilogy especially in the combat mechanics and larger worlds. It comes closest to the original ME game in terms of exploration and discovery but ME:A surpasses the original game in terms of beautiful worlds, a slick new star ship, and ground vehicle. However the strengths that were present in the original trilogy in terms of a story, plot and fully fleshed out characters are somewhat lacking in ME:A. The story, although engaging, lacks the thought provoking plot that was present in ME 1 in regards to the introduction of world, finding clues, and uncovering a conspiracy. The characters of ME:A for the protagonist, squad mates, and other NPCs are interesting, but they do not bring the same attachments that were felt in ME 2 and 3. When tragedy hits or there is a sense of urgency for example, our protagonist and others lack real emotions such as anguish or anxiety that would undoubtedly be present in fleshed out characters. Lastly, far from the pioneer animation that was present in ME in 2007, facial and body animations in ME:A are at times a bit off putting especially in conversations with other characters in the game. They can be distracting and unintentionally comical often breaking sobering moments of the story.
In short, Mass Effect Andromeda falls short of being a great game. And although there are some disappointments to be had, it's still a good game and there is plenty there to keep one entertained. 7.5 out of 10 .… Expand

Captiosus

Apr 1, 2017

6

Mass Effect Andromeda was simply "OK". Doesn't live up to the high bar set by the original trilogy but is decent on its own. The story is groan-worthy and cliche and the characters and settings are pale imitations of the originals (Liam/Jacob; Vetra/Garrus; Cora/Ashley; Drack/Wrex; Peebee/Liara; Jaal/Javik; Remnant/Promethians; Kett/Reapers; Kadara/Omega; etc.). Though, honestly - and thisMass Effect Andromeda was simply "OK". Doesn't live up to the high bar set by the original trilogy but is decent on its own. The story is groan-worthy and cliche and the characters and settings are pale imitations of the originals (Liam/Jacob; Vetra/Garrus; Cora/Ashley; Drack/Wrex; Peebee/Liara; Jaal/Javik; Remnant/Promethians; Kett/Reapers; Kadara/Omega; etc.). Though, honestly - and this will be sacrilegious to some Mass Effect fans - I found I liked Peebee more than I liked Liara from the original trilogy, but that's just me.

The BIGGEST issue with this game is that the Frostbite engine repeatedly chokes. It's as if they handed the engine to a team that had little to no experience developing for it. Constant frame rate drops, horrendous texture pop in, AI and model spawn-in broken repeatedly, textures not appearing, laughably bad character animations, constant sound effect and voice file bugs (constantly clipping or cutting out entirely), and so on. Some of these issues can be game-breaking, forcing a console restart or the need to reload a prior save. The issues are really glaring when you go over to a different game that manages a solid 30 or 60 FPS then come back to Andromeda. Oh and there is a level of laziness I feel should be noted: Almost every non-ringed gas giant throughout Andromeda is a copy/paste of a stock photograph of our very own Jupiter, only with various gray, sepia, and brown filters over them. They didn't even try to change the gas bands or even the location of the red spot storm.

After having played newer space shooters like Destiny (which, despite its problems, is a fluid and very graphically pretty game) and recent open world games like Horizon Zero Dawn, I can't help but feel that Mass Effect Andromeda is a relic from a different time. To be brutally honest the planets in ME:A were as graphically janky as the planets in No Man's Sky and often only slightly less barren. Which is sad because we've seen what the Frostbite engine is capable of. If you're a Mass Effect fan like I am, it's probably worth a rental. But I'm struggling to justify my purchase because, unlike the original Trilogy which I played more times than I care to count across three different platforms, I doubt I'll be playing this through a second time. [For anyone wondering, 73:56:02 played, 96% completion; Adept/Vanguard Male Ryder]

Edited extra: One of the complaints many had of the originals was that the romance scenes lacked punch because they didn't have nudity. ME:A embraces its Mature rating and goes with nudity this time around and it feels, well... meh. It's like watching a late night Cinemax softcore 30 minute show with just as much emotion (which is to say none). The romance scenes STILL lack punch as they now feel more like fan service rather than a meaningful plot device.… Expand

Si3g

Mar 29, 2017

7

O jogo é bom no que se refere a gameplay e aos gráficos em geral,no entanto o game falha em entregar aquilo que fez a série ME uma franquia de sucesso. Problemas como a animação dos personagens, história fraca e uma interação entre os protagonistas que não convence, tornam esse o pior Mass Effect da série, Ainda assim MEA é um bom jogo que vale a pena ser conferido

Agnivix

Mar 30, 2017

7

(7.5/10) - Coming from a Bioware fan, Mass Effect Andromeda is an unpolished good game. It has issues, lots of them. Mainly I would point out:

Facial animations that take away from what should have been emotional scenes; Walking animations of some characters; Loading (like how long do you have to stare at a door for it to open, sometimes so long that if there is a way around that(7.5/10) - Coming from a Bioware fan, Mass Effect Andromeda is an unpolished good game. It has issues, lots of them. Mainly I would point out:

Facial animations that take away from what should have been emotional scenes;

Walking animations of some characters;

Loading (like how long do you have to stare at a door for it to open, sometimes so long that if there is a way around that door you should probably take it. The loading moving around the galaxy map is ridiculous to the point you might not want to explore anymore.

SAM talking about the temperature changes and mining console over and over again, sometimes seconds apart.

Bugs, SO MANY BUGS. You can be talking with a guy and killed by an enemy mid conversation and get a corrupted save; you can be talking with a guy and he just walks over 30 feet away from you while in conversation. Doors just refuse to open unless you reload, landing animation loops. And severe hiccups in frame rate, sometimes freezing the game 0 fps for a few seconds.

Controls seem very counterintuitive.

Crafting seems overly complicated and severely limited by research points.

I love companion stories, but I hate having to constantly finish a main quest, a planet and always have to go around the ship talking with everyone (sometimes multiple times) until they have nothing left to say except their usual greeting.

----------------------

On the positive side, the game is massive. Clocked in 72h to finish. Was impressed at the amount of interesting dialogue in the world (you get the awful line here and there). While many disagree with me here, I feel the game needs to showcase that better. Quest givers sometimes have no markers, you get relevant chats with random npcs that the game never really gives you a reason to interact with. Some quests end and you assume there is a dialogue change with the quest giver or an npc mentioned in the quest and I have found that is true, but you have to actively pursue them, the game never even hints that you might get more story points if you go there. (while this rewards exploration it also means the average player will never really get the full picture or the sense that there is more)
The story is fine, nothing groundbreaking, but a satisfying tale.… Expand

BabyRants

Mar 29, 2017

7

7/10, And here's why. The controls are bumpy and don't feel right on PS4. The Graphics are stunning for ME, but yes, I do believe they've killed ME with this. EA, I love you. You've made the sims, ME, Battlefield, Dragon Age, but on March 21st, You killed another game series.

Czaste

Mar 23, 2017

5

We now have insight into the mass departure of staff from Bioware Montreal a few years back on this AAA.

Technically they've pushed the Frostbite engine to glorious extremes (landscapes, objects, textures, animations other than facial, etc.). But it would seem that the 'treatment' for the story, which had so much potential, lost its way in the details. After 50+ hours of play, it painsWe now have insight into the mass departure of staff from Bioware Montreal a few years back on this AAA.

Technically they've pushed the Frostbite engine to glorious extremes (landscapes, objects, textures, animations other than facial, etc.). But it would seem that the 'treatment' for the story, which had so much potential, lost its way in the details. After 50+ hours of play, it pains me to listen to dialogue that could have been written by and for a Jr. High drama production, to spend hours on fetch quests that have absolutely nothing to do with the overall plot, and. have no arc to what should have been an excellent story/adventure/experience.

Bioware dropped the ball, and it evades me now how they can possibly make up for it. As the folks here stated, the game will make money (at the very least its development and marketing budget, which is no small feat), but my faith in the shop overall to build a game that is based on intelligent, insightful story-telling is hopelessly lost. This was Bioware's relm, their key selling point for anything they brought to market. Now rebuilding that 'brand' has come into question.

Like many other things in these crazy, ridiculous times, we have lost something - another small piece of our lives that by itself is not critical, but when added up with the rest of the pieces that seem to be disappearing on a daily basis, makes our lives 'less'.… Expand

XV-02

Mar 21, 2017

5

The first chunk of the game, through the first major mission, is very enjoyable. It's different from previous installments, but not bad.
However, the first main-line mission after that signals the beginning of what can thus far only be called a tremendously uncoordinated mess. There is enjoyable game-play in here, and unlike many, I like the return to ME1 facets, but there are seriousThe first chunk of the game, through the first major mission, is very enjoyable. It's different from previous installments, but not bad.
However, the first main-line mission after that signals the beginning of what can thus far only be called a tremendously uncoordinated mess. There is enjoyable game-play in here, and unlike many, I like the return to ME1 facets, but there are serious structural issues whose origin lie at Bioware's feet.
Most problematic is a complete lack of cohesiveness. There are emails referencing a character you can't have met before the end of the first mission. You meet one group, and, despite the characterization of that group as initially untrusting, there is no evidence of it there after. Now, It may just be that this event occurs at a rough bridge in the narrative, a poor section needed to facilitate larger things to come, but I doubt it somehow. Over all, there seems a lack of direction. The game needed a focus, and it sorely lacks that, being torn between the enjoyable notions of establishing a foothold for the people's of the Milky Way in Andromeda, and a larger narrative that would be better served by being set on the back-burner and allowed to build for future installments

There are also, already, a number of glaring story-telling holes:

-At one point, you speak with a member of an adversarial force while your ship deals with a navigation issue. The Ship-board computer informs you that it will need time to re-establish navigation, but instead of using that opportunity to talk with the adversary, and to expand the story, it's squandered, making an opportunity for a moment like meeting Sovereign on Virmire wasted.
-The Player Character has a lot of background knowledge that the player isn't privy to. This leads to big questions that are unanswered, save outside of lip-service in the codex or in ham-fisted conversations.
-Additionally, for a series which, by all rights, should be focusing on continuity, the sudden creation of a galaxy wide colonization effort that was entirely unmentioned in the original trilogy, but which took place at the same time is ridiculous, and there is little reason that this story couldn't have its roots post-ME3, leaving the reason for the colonization effort up in the air, instead of shoe-horning it in to the existing timeline.
-Overall, from 13 hours of play, I'm not at all confident in the ability of the story to resolve its key issues, nor to satisfactorily move from plot point to plot point, which is frankly unacceptable when there are clear avenues for the narrative to follow. I suspect that there was too little in the way of sharing the game for feedback. Or at least, not a rigorous enough approach to plotting in the writing room.

With regards to the Characters, separate from the larger story:

-Your crew mates are hit and miss, with uneven characterization. While accusations of one-dimensional-ness are false, it seems not to be for want of trying by the writing team. If you accept that Shepard had some of the galaxy's best around them during the Original Trilogy, the flawed nature of Ryder's crew, and their slightly scruffier aesthetic is acceptable, and its nice not to surrounded by wunderkind and characters who would be the hero if the Player Character wasn't there. Their flaws are in some regards, a welcome addition. That said, they are often too leaned on for characterization. Additionally, while its nice that some characters don't have backgrounds rooted in established Mass Effect organizations like C-Sec, they have an annoying tendency to be the "I do what I think it right, and don't play by the rules" types, or the one exception, a starched shirt with poorly written abandonment issues, who's motivating scars in life don't fit with established cannon.

And, moving on due to dwindling character count:

-The Galaxy map is poorly designed, taking too long to do anything, for too little reward.
-The non-menu UI is at times fine, but is often too imprecise, or actively obstructive (Try selecting different locations on the main colonization hub),
-The removal of the power wheel is a poor design decision, as they provide nothing to allow for situational awareness in its place, making combat more about looking around and covering your own backside than fighting.
-The Menus are counter productive, and too deeply layered in places, and lack obvious features like the ability to compare items when looking to buy new gear from in-game merchants.
-At the very least, outfit customization is a mess, with it seemingly not working on PC, and with the location you select armour pieces miles away from where you choose your colours, requiring you to drop out of the menu, run through your ship, and switch out parts before running back if you wish to make a change.

Over all, I am disappointed, not in the game, because I love the world and series, but at the seeming incompetence of execution by Bioware and EA. They have no excuses.… Expand

artimis

Mar 22, 2017

5

Theirs a load of problems with this title but its still tolerable. Just needs some more polishing then I believe it will be worthy of a 7/10. Its not the best, but its also not the worst. Some parts are really injoyable then get ruined by the poor voice acting or animations. the beginning is really bad then it picks up a tad about 8 hours in. Best to probably pick it up on sale. SpendTheirs a load of problems with this title but its still tolerable. Just needs some more polishing then I believe it will be worthy of a 7/10. Its not the best, but its also not the worst. Some parts are really injoyable then get ruined by the poor voice acting or animations. the beginning is really bad then it picks up a tad about 8 hours in. Best to probably pick it up on sale. Spend you're 60$ on something else like Breath of the wild, Nier automata, or horizon zero dawn, (all 10/10 games)

Cons:
-Poor animations
-poor voice acting
-game freezes way to much. sometimes when im not even doing anything.
-boring story
-boring characters
-extremely glitchy (floating raptors, weird morphing faces, fell through stairs, hair failed to load in.)
-repititive
-sidequests
-typical villain. Not really enteresting either.

Pros:
Exploration
multiplayer is fun
combat is fun.
atmosphere (some areas, then usually gets ruined fast)… Expand

Srfrogg23

Mar 27, 2017

6

I keep wondering to myself "what would I rate this if I had never played the original trilogy?" I honestly don't think this game is terrible, but I don't think it's phenomenal either. It really feels like a bad case of "Spin-off-it is". Like the writers and developers were so desperate to establish the characters with these over-the-top personalities that they just come off as cliché.I keep wondering to myself "what would I rate this if I had never played the original trilogy?" I honestly don't think this game is terrible, but I don't think it's phenomenal either. It really feels like a bad case of "Spin-off-it is". Like the writers and developers were so desperate to establish the characters with these over-the-top personalities that they just come off as cliché. I suppose if you try hard enough you can squeeze any character into a stereo-type, but this is kind of ridiculous. Liam is a badly written/acted Guy Ritchie character (yeah, Liam, I get it. You're "edgy"...) and Peebee is just "that obnoxiously quirky one" (yeah Peebee, I get it, you're the upbeat plucky one with a "can do" attitude that doesn't take no for an answer...). Hopefully the character development will improve as the story progresses, but here in the beginning it's not particularly engaging. The combat is good, probably the best of any ME game I've ever played. The story-telling has its hits and misses, but can be overshadowed by the weird animations and character models. I can look past these things and enjoy the game, I suppose, but I can't recommend anyone shell out $60 for this unless you can't find anything else you'd rather spend your money on. If you do, hopefully you can look past the flaws in the character presentation and graphical issues. The scenery is gorgeous and there is the potential for some great non-Reaper related storytelling that takes place in the ME universe here.… Expand

pa2jynxx

Apr 3, 2017

7

At first, I found Andromeda more than a little lacking and felt that the narrative was very easily derailed if you strayed even slightly from the expected script. Whole sections of the story made little sense based on my previous actions and I regularly found myself confused by a new series of events only to wade through the necessary exposition conversations after I had completed theAt first, I found Andromeda more than a little lacking and felt that the narrative was very easily derailed if you strayed even slightly from the expected script. Whole sections of the story made little sense based on my previous actions and I regularly found myself confused by a new series of events only to wade through the necessary exposition conversations after I had completed the events they should have preceded. Needless to say, I was quite frustrated as I played through the first dozen hours of the game.

Once I reached about 33% completion, however, the tone of the game changed and it became a true successor to the original trilogy. The latter half of the game is much stronger than the first half and it eventually culminates in an exciting and satisfying finale that leaves plenty of room for sequels.

I began a second play-through to see how it felt once I knew what I was doing and it was a LOT more streamlined and intuitive than my first fumbling steps in the Andromeda galaxy had been. Consensus: don't get discouraged. Andromeda has a rocky start for some but it gets much better as it progresses and is worth the effort. Pay attention to what the game is asking you to do and don't head off on your own too early or you may find yourself wondering what's going on. Fans of the original trilogy should come away with a positive experience overall and a desire to see what awaits Ryder and the crew of the Tempest.… Expand

jadam914

Apr 6, 2017

7

After a full play through here is my take. Not sure why all the hate, it's a good game but it could have been great. One of the glaring problems is frostbite the game engine. The mechanics are clunky at times and under whelming ad to that it hammers on ps4 hardware and fans even though other titles with better graphics run easier on it. The writing was not terrible and some of the normalAfter a full play through here is my take. Not sure why all the hate, it's a good game but it could have been great. One of the glaring problems is frostbite the game engine. The mechanics are clunky at times and under whelming ad to that it hammers on ps4 hardware and fans even though other titles with better graphics run easier on it. The writing was not terrible and some of the normal Bioware humor and attention to continuity was there but not as much as expected. One quest areas dialog was completely miss scripted and it showed. Facial and body mechanics were poorly done and lacking. The general story was good and enjoyable. More decision impact on the story would have been nice. I tire of Bioware pushing the lgbt stuff so hard every game, it doesn't need to be so "In your face" they need to chill a little. A little more content would have been nice though I don't feel robbed with what I got, with all the star systems available there was room. It's hardly a POS like Dragon Age II was but was still below standard as triple A title. Even with all the negatives i still enjoyed it and look forward to improvement on the next Mass Effect title.… Expand

chenson87

Mar 29, 2017

5

Fun at first with a lot of promise but ultimate a bug filled mess that should not be called a AAA game. Buggy save system and the autosaves make you repeat long portions of fights. I fight with the aiming system more than i fight with the enemies. Not much payoff for trying to do side quests. This game could have easily been an 8/10 however the bugs and terrible controls hold it way back.Fun at first with a lot of promise but ultimate a bug filled mess that should not be called a AAA game. Buggy save system and the autosaves make you repeat long portions of fights. I fight with the aiming system more than i fight with the enemies. Not much payoff for trying to do side quests. This game could have easily been an 8/10 however the bugs and terrible controls hold it way back. It never should have been released in this state.… Expand

silent_sentinel

Apr 6, 2017

7

Andromeda is a beautiful-looking sci-fi RPG which is let down by shoddy, sanctimonious writing, poor animation, and more bugs than you could count on a pair of glitched-out, backward-facing hands. Though it's a solid game with some really exquisite setpieces and a host of different planets to explore, it'll be difficult for die-hard fans of the franchise to look beyond the yawn-inducingAndromeda is a beautiful-looking sci-fi RPG which is let down by shoddy, sanctimonious writing, poor animation, and more bugs than you could count on a pair of glitched-out, backward-facing hands. Though it's a solid game with some really exquisite setpieces and a host of different planets to explore, it'll be difficult for die-hard fans of the franchise to look beyond the yawn-inducing story, lacklustre characters (none of whom have even close to the same level of appeal as, say, Garrus, Liara, or Wrex), and glitches which go beyond being funny and into the realms of being downright sad.

With Andromeda, the options were as close to limitless as it's possible to be; what aliens will we encounter? What sorts of planets can we explore? Will there be chilling moments, or will it be a more lighthearted affair? What will the element of threat feel like, and who are the baddies? - Unfortunately, what we got was more of the same; a generic story in which a boilerplate humanoid race of aliens seek intergalactic supremacy through genetic superiority (Collectors, anyone?), a slightly-more-compelling but no-less-unpolished benevolent underdog race who just want peace and prosperity for everyone, and ancient technologies left behind by a mysterious extinct society who are revealed to us through a series of sudoku-like puzzles and vague speculation on the part of a party member.

Space exploration is a little dodgy, and forcing us to watch through lengthy planetary-approach animations before finding that the world we've decided to look at can't even be landed upon isn't cool, but despite this, planetside exploration feels nice, and driving around the deserts of Elaaden, or strolling through the lush jungles of Havarl while the rain splishy-splashes off your armour can feel really satisfying. The main missions are also enjoyable, and character-specific 'loyalty' missions give the developers a chance to show off their writing skills, but unfortunately it often falls a little flat, and is let down by the overwhelming quantity of throwaway fetch quests and inconsequential dialog choices. The game's main protagonist, Ryder, never really seems to fit into - or earn, for that matter - any of the roles they're given, instead just stumbling into scenarios and being revered by default. This simply adds to the feeling of displacement between the player and their character, and removes almost all feelings of progression and achievement.

Where the previous installments had me rushing combat encounters in a bid to reach the next conversation or romance scene, this one does the opposite; conversations provide no real depth, your actions garner barely any genuine consequence, and romance choices feel stilted and forced. Combat, on the other hand, and gameplay in general, is probably the best it's ever been, with fluid movement which encourages speed and tactical thinking, while the host of equipment options and a well thought-out system of interchangeable abilities and classes which allows you to mix things up to suit different styles of play and battle scenarios really makes you feel like the hardened space-marine you were always meant to be.

It's hard to give this game anything higher than a mediocre score as a result of its prevalent faults, but it's also hard not to recommend it, and though fans of the series will likely see a few bits and pieces throughout the story which hark back to Shepard's adventures, and fans of fast-paced shooters will relish the game's combat, Andromeda - though very nice to look at - will never truly feel like home.… Expand

Aarianne

Apr 6, 2017

6

Now that I've had some time to dig into this game, I figured I'd weigh in about what is good/bad about it. While this game ends up not being the incredible game to me I hope it would have been, I don't think it is a complete disaster by any means. Just for reference I play on a PS4 Pro.

So what don't I like? The random glitches that pop up during playback. For example, on oneNow that I've had some time to dig into this game, I figured I'd weigh in about what is good/bad about it. While this game ends up not being the incredible game to me I hope it would have been, I don't think it is a complete disaster by any means. Just for reference I play on a PS4 Pro.

So what don't I like?

The random glitches that pop up during playback. For example, on one quest it didn't play the audio for the npc I had to confront and bam, I get the decision wheel. Talk about immersion killing. There were also a lot of times with random distorted visuals in areas of the screen (only during single-player). These usually required me to close the application before it would go away. And I'm not sure what is with Ryder's crew, but I just don't care for most of them. Even half the time their loyalty missions felt pretty underwhelming as far as stories go. In multiplayer, I can't say how many times it would randomly crash the game completely. Over a week has passed and not one patch? The earlier ME games had me excited to play when I got home, not so much with this one. No reason to mention facial animations as that has been beaten to death already.

So what is good?

The visuals are awesome, when you actually explore the planets you can get some amazing views. I like the flexibility of building your custom ability sets. It really allows you to cater to your specific play style. Combat was fast and really fun once you find the build that works for you. Multiplayer was a fun distraction as well. If it didn't crash as much, I'd would play it a lot more. Space travel was what I expected. I hated scanning entire planets in the prior ME games so a quick scan with some great visuals was fine with me.

I'm still not sure about those forward stations...

TLDR; While still a fun game to play, it could have been much better if they delayed the release a few more months. After they finally patch some existing bugs, I think it will be the game I expected. Still worth playing if you liked the ME series, but if you're on the fence give it few months to work out the bugs.… Expand

crawft

Mar 30, 2017

6

You can read other reviews here about the game's problems, but I for one would like to speculate on just how awful the entire Frostbite engine is for ONLINE GAMING. Think about this: the mechanics of character interactions/collisions in FIFA, Dragon Age and in Andromeda indicate a terribly flawed system. A herky-jerky mess of character interactions. Still working my way through the singleYou can read other reviews here about the game's problems, but I for one would like to speculate on just how awful the entire Frostbite engine is for ONLINE GAMING. Think about this: the mechanics of character interactions/collisions in FIFA, Dragon Age and in Andromeda indicate a terribly flawed system. A herky-jerky mess of character interactions. Still working my way through the single player campaign and the environments have been amazing so far.… Expand

alexanderroyal

Mar 25, 2017

6

As many have said the subpar animations are a huge distraction. Combined with a bland story and characters, Mass Effect Andromeda falls short of its predecessors

tlbasile

Mar 23, 2017

7

Mass Effect: Andromeda: Although in many ways it's much different than the ME trilogy, it comes closest to the original ME game in terms of exploration and discovery. ME:A surpasses the original game in terms of beautiful worlds, a slick new star ship, and ground vehicle, however it lacks in both a great story and fully fleshed out character development. Both the story and characters ofMass Effect: Andromeda: Although in many ways it's much different than the ME trilogy, it comes closest to the original ME game in terms of exploration and discovery. ME:A surpasses the original game in terms of beautiful worlds, a slick new star ship, and ground vehicle, however it lacks in both a great story and fully fleshed out character development. Both the story and characters of ME:A do their jobs, but there is a lack of connection with the characters that was felt in earlier ME games. When tragedy hits, for example, our protagonist and others are able to deal with it without any real sense of emotion or anguish that would've been present in those circumstances.. The story, although engaging, doesn't capture the sense of awe that was present in the first game especially when it came to learning about the world, the clues, and uncovering a conspiracy. In short, the story does it's job, but there just isn't anything that is unique, inspiring, or thought provoking. Lastly, the facial and body animations of the characters are sometimes off to the point it's comical. Not the best for a 2017.. Even though Mass Effect Andromeda isn't a great game and it's a bit disappointing, it's still a good game and it's still fun to play. GIVE IT: 7.5/10… Expand

CaptainSharkFin

Mar 23, 2017

7

I went into this game as a dedicated fan to the original trilogy, having completed all three games under three different Shepard types. While my love for the series as a whole has tempered my opinion to this game, I can honestly say for certain that after about fifteen hours into it I'm still enthralled. As Ryder, I've been taking my time exploring what the new setting has to offer, andI went into this game as a dedicated fan to the original trilogy, having completed all three games under three different Shepard types. While my love for the series as a whole has tempered my opinion to this game, I can honestly say for certain that after about fifteen hours into it I'm still enthralled. As Ryder, I've been taking my time exploring what the new setting has to offer, and have been going through the missions one step at a time. It's really taken hold of me, and I can't wait to see the end. (I've heard it's disappointing, but I'll let my own judgement decide that for me)

That being said, the game has issues. Lots of issues. Glitches, animation bugs, questionable design choices...The set pieces are nice, the RPG aspects of the Mass Effect series seem to be making a return from the original, the character customization might be a bit lacking in the appearance department and the...female models definitely leave a lot to be desired. These slightly mar the experience a bit, but it's definitely not enough to give this game anything below a 5 or a 6-point score.

Rather than giving it a point, though, what I want to do is RECOMMEND THIS GAME FOR PURCHASE. It's not perfect, and the whole experience is kind of hampered by the fact that (1) a lot of folks were expecting so much and (2) it's riding off of the coat-tails (and the controversy that follows it) of Mass Effect 3, but I sincerely hope that they give Ryder their own trilogy to rival the original. There's a lot they can learn from with this game, and I hope they take those experiences to make the next one event better.… Expand

asevans48

Mar 25, 2017

6

As far as things go, some of the earlier Deus Ex games were worse. I started gaming with those and Mass Effect 1 which, by today's standards is not great. To compare, the first game is a lot like the current game but worse in some aspects. Neither game is terrific for today's gamers or machines. However, BioWare is ambitious and quite open with a great deal of promise if EA will get out ofAs far as things go, some of the earlier Deus Ex games were worse. I started gaming with those and Mass Effect 1 which, by today's standards is not great. To compare, the first game is a lot like the current game but worse in some aspects. Neither game is terrific for today's gamers or machines. However, BioWare is ambitious and quite open with a great deal of promise if EA will get out of the way. EA may be why MEA is basically ME1 with a coat of new paint and a few improvements. I gave ME1 a 7/10 by the way because the animations were appropriate to the time.

This game has its ambitions:
- Large Universe
- Sets up a story line
- Come back from the ending of ME3 (a game that was actually phenomenal despite the ending)

This yields some positive traits:

- Multiplayer has improved and is heart pounding at times.
- The new galaxy is large and ready for some sort of plot. Hopefully it isn't the same plot.
- There is more of a plot than ME1 but the game is still as open.
- The sound quality has improved.
- What appears to be a new visual engine or massive upgrade shows signs of promise in the future. This game should have been refined for another 6-12 months.
- Combat is better than ME1 even if the game is exactly the same in tone.
- The game drops some of the more boring aspects of ME1 despite maintaining them in a faster paced way.
- Hardcore and the level above actually give you a run for your money at times as the enemies are harder to kill.
- The AI is not strong but at least playing combat missions does not fell like shooting at ducks at the fair. This improves on ME1.
- If you liked ME1, then MEA offers better world exploration and AI with some better visuals.

The ambition and EA also yield a ton of negative traits:

- Combat has degraded a bit from ME3 but that is probably due to the open world ME1 style.
- It is 2017, not 2008. This game looks like something ported from N64 to the age of Xbox. That is a regression from ME3.
- Color schemes are ugly at times. The puke green is just off putting.
- Character interaction is still not great. Conversations are not as shallow as people giving themselves away but still need work.
- In an age of tens to hundreds of GB of RAM, terabyte hard drives, the i7, and graphics cards that are better than processors, we are still given very little to do on a planet and poor AI. The game improves on the routine side quests of ME1 but not by much. AI is still like it was in ME3.
- The character creation is a mess and quite limited compared to ME3.
- ME is still a massive sex romp in space. Let's move on from the original Battle Star Galactica to the much better 00's remake. Space porn was better to those in the 1970s.
- The plot feels repackaged
- Way too much faked liberalism. I think women intentionally outnumber men. It feels like this was a business decision from a bunch of Canucks tempered by Bioware to leave out certain folks who would not really qualify for a real space mission. It is written into the story poorly. I believe in equality but forced equality makes for awful story lines. If you really want integration just integrate your workforce and the writers will carry their personalities to the story in a more relaxed and real way. I am surprised there wasn't a statement about women being just as good as men.

Mostly, the negative traits come in the form of animation and poor character interaction, the EA push to publish, and repackaging, I think EA fell into the common EA trap of reproducing the same plot type, with the same story telling because they think every game is just a business. They seem to be telling BioWare to really just *** off and do it their way. In case EA forgot, they are really bad at making games. It is why they make more money in sports games and why Bethesda is superior. Leave Bioware the *** alone. Art is a business but it is still art and must still move. Sports moves on its own.

In summation, the game feels like ME1 9 years later but with slightly better visuals and AI. That is just wrong. However, it does set things up nicely to a degree. Because of the positives, this game is a 6 and not a 3.… Expand

Prrgangsta

Mar 21, 2017

5

Wow I did not expect the user score to be so low but i guess this was just that disappointing to some users.

Anyway after playing for several hours i feel that is time to give my own opinion. The new installment of the Mass Effect series is fun during combat and exploration but that is really all it has going for it. The combat flows well and the abilities you have are useful in eachWow I did not expect the user score to be so low but i guess this was just that disappointing to some users.

Anyway after playing for several hours i feel that is time to give my own opinion. The new installment of the Mass Effect series is fun during combat and exploration but that is really all it has going for it. The combat flows well and the abilities you have are useful in each situation even though some are more limited than others, like combat abilities such as grenades and the flak cannon. The planets you visit are vast and full of sidequests, yet feel empty and lifeless most of the time.

Now to the cons of the game. The facial animations are so bad you can never tell how your human comrades feel unless they tell you. The frame rate drops in certain scenes making it look it is a stop motion film. The voice acting is horrendous as if the actors just wanted to say their parts then leave the studio with the check. Research and development is boring and unrewarding, it feels with its **** gear but hopefully I will find more ultra rare blueprints to create better gear for my character. Finally are the dialogue choices which dont feel like they make much of a difference in a conversation no matter how you reply.

I have sent strike teams out for missions and they seem to have trouble completing missions but hopefully they will gain experience and be able to succeed future missions. I have yet to do multiplayer but i hope it treats me better than the main story has.… Expand

ArgonNova

Mar 25, 2017

5

I would rather report positive, but unfortunately mass effect andromeda is clearly the worst part of the series. I've played the previous three parts and dragon age inquisition with pleasure. And this is where the great problem of andromeda begins. From the game mechanics it is a simple copy of dragon age inquisition. While the previous mass effect parts had a very exciting main story andI would rather report positive, but unfortunately mass effect andromeda is clearly the worst part of the series. I've played the previous three parts and dragon age inquisition with pleasure. And this is where the great problem of andromeda begins. From the game mechanics it is a simple copy of dragon age inquisition. While the previous mass effect parts had a very exciting main story and a constantly flowing gameplay in the missions, andromeda unfortunately misses these qualities completely. The current mass effect is, unfortunately, only a careless copy of dragon age inquisition with a science fiction skin. Most of the game time is spent walking an unnecessarily long distance, always looking for the same containers and constantly checking boring objects with the multifunction scanner. From time to time, the playful solitude is supplemented by a repetitive and tactically undemanding struggle. The Nomad is unfortunately of only very limited benefit, since its control is still buggy. Even the opponents in the game are boring, they seem more like a badly made copy of the collectors from part two. The main story is so thin, that it becomes quickly boring. The environment graphics of the game is very beautiful, this is one of the few highlights of the game. Unfortunately this is relativized by the badly made facial animations. The newly designed dialogue option system is basically a good improvement of the old system. Only this doesn’t really stand out in this boring main story and companions.
I can recommend this part of the mass effect series only for people who loved the gameplay of dragon age inquisition and can’t get enough of it to scan for 100 hours with an annoying multi-function scanner at the forearm for boring research bonuses in the environment. For all the others I recommend for the moment: fingers away.… Expand

ByYuxiSs

Mar 21, 2017

5

The end of a big franchise regrettably.
This game I did not like at all its history for the moment does not finish convincing me, some scenarios not so well designed and for my opinion the end of this saga that was already declining a little with his third game.

It is not a bad game but I also did not finish giving its true potential to which we had been promised 5/10

destinyfan1

Mar 21, 2017

6

I wanted to write this review way later to explore and enjoy the game but then i was curious for the reviews and I saw all these mass effect fanboys . Now before i begin i didn't like the game also mush but its still fun, and I know people or gonna press the button 'not helpful' because their fanboys and see the 6 score and don't even read my review. But now enough crap and write the realI wanted to write this review way later to explore and enjoy the game but then i was curious for the reviews and I saw all these mass effect fanboys . Now before i begin i didn't like the game also mush but its still fun, and I know people or gonna press the button 'not helpful' because their fanboys and see the 6 score and don't even read my review. But now enough crap and write the real review.
positive
+ huge worlds with still for me a lot to explore
+ some characters are interesting BUT NOT ALL OF THEM
+ combat and weapons
+ aliens and boss battles
+ however i only played co-op a 1 hour , iI really liked it
negative
- lame characters and horrible face animations
- bugs
- sometimes repetive
- animations take sometimes a dip
however i actually regret i bought this at full price ( but still will play it )
it doesn't deserve the hate, almost everyone giving it a 0 for technical issues while if you ignore it , it is a pretty good game ( now its just okay ) . Also the mass effect fanboys don't like that the game takes a new step and feels like a different game, they really can't handle it
So please read my review and ignore the 0 scores
6,5/10… Expand

Th3Dud3

Mar 24, 2017

5

This lift off is simply not good enough.
It should offer a new approach to the series and will set up a path for new adventures in the ME Universe.
Sadly its not that good, as the ME Series before was. I dont want to cry about the animations - they are not good for an AAA title. Just compare this game to AC Series, or other games and it should be equal or better. Especially whenThis lift off is simply not good enough.
It should offer a new approach to the series and will set up a path for new adventures in the ME Universe.

Sadly its not that good, as the ME Series before was.
I dont want to cry about the animations - they are not good for an AAA title.
Just compare this game to AC Series, or other games and it should be equal or better.
Especially when it's about feelings, rpg, and character presentation.

But thats not the major point, even it is jumping into your face during the game.
The major point is - it's soulless.
I try to sum it up:
- characters are not interesting enough
- the world is huge but has no "exploration" feeling
- conversations are simple
- the experience is average to nearly good.
- the action is lifeless and nearly a bit boring.

And this makes over all the game pretty bad.
This series was amazing and has so much potential.
It turns out that is droping like Dragon Age.
Don't expect to much, when you buy it right now.

Buy it when its cheap, my advise.
Right now, i am not satisfied at all and a bit sad to see what 5 years later came out.
As a fan, i am sad.… Expand

nbtbirds66

Mar 28, 2017

7

The game isn't the best in the area of graphics, in fact it is pretty lack luster. There are a lot of glitches and some are pretty bad. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the amazing story in this game has to offer. If you are willing to look past the graphical issues it is a great game that can be enjoyed by all.

StanleyPain

Mar 21, 2017

5

I really, really wanted to like this game. There are a lot of things to love about it. It's a cool hybrid of the planetary exploration of ME1 (which I really liked, personally) with the faster paced combat that ME3's multiplayer brought to the mix. Much has been made about the game's weak voice acting (which is true) and the bizarre, awful facial animations and general characterI really, really wanted to like this game. There are a lot of things to love about it. It's a cool hybrid of the planetary exploration of ME1 (which I really liked, personally) with the faster paced combat that ME3's multiplayer brought to the mix. Much has been made about the game's weak voice acting (which is true) and the bizarre, awful facial animations and general character portrayals (which is also true), but as much as I wanted to really get into ME:A, the technical problems this game has right now are just making it a hot f-in mess, and I'm just being brutally honest. The texture problems, characters morphing in and out of scenery, team mates getting stuck, important dialog that doesn't trigger until 1-2 minutes AFTER the important thing happened you needed the dialog for, and your character randomly freezing in mid-action are just a handful of what is wrong with this game. With a patch or two, ME:A could be a generally solid sci-adventure. But, man..I am sincerely disappointed. This goes beyond just the aesthetic problems; personally I can live with the weirdly bad animations and such...but the game has to be PLAYABLE and the second time I got killed because I literally lost control of my character while the game merrily kept going I just really had to be intellectually honest: this game not only needed more time in the oven, but was released in an inexcusable state. I am really bummed. I hope they fix some of this crap soon, cuz I feel pretty ripped off on this one.… Expand

Greysteel

Mar 23, 2017

5

An ugly mis-step in a franchise I once enjoyed so much. Hideous animation bugs all but ruin any sense of immersion or connection to the plot. For a game that talks so much it rarely has anything interesting to say. And in a galaxy so big it rarely has anything worth finding. The bones of a sci-fi epic melodrama are there, with a curt selection of star crew along for the journey, howeverAn ugly mis-step in a franchise I once enjoyed so much. Hideous animation bugs all but ruin any sense of immersion or connection to the plot. For a game that talks so much it rarely has anything interesting to say. And in a galaxy so big it rarely has anything worth finding. The bones of a sci-fi epic melodrama are there, with a curt selection of star crew along for the journey, however this will be remembered as a dour note in Bioware's new space symphony.… Expand

REUBENATRIX

Mar 23, 2017

5

It's not fair to write a review without playing the game, but I don't think I can continue. I'd rather play Horizon or Wildlands again than keep going through this sesspool. There is nothing to hold my attention in this game. Plus I had a quite attractive looking custom character painstakingly created to perfection, and now in game her mouth is the only moving part... like a goldfish. IIt's not fair to write a review without playing the game, but I don't think I can continue. I'd rather play Horizon or Wildlands again than keep going through this sesspool. There is nothing to hold my attention in this game. Plus I had a quite attractive looking custom character painstakingly created to perfection, and now in game her mouth is the only moving part... like a goldfish. I feel bad for those lazy ass devs, they are going to get hauled over the coals for this flop. Our local store has zero launch marketing. I though I had the launch date wrong. I'm taking it back to swap for pretty much anything else. Probably put a pre-order on prey or pickup dishonoured 2.… Expand

Juhiz

Mar 23, 2017

7

It´s ok.. Feels rushed.
I would have accepted frame rate and texture loading issues like in the previous Bioware games. But these animation and art asset bugs are staining the otherwise pristine reputation of "new" Bioware. To be fair somewhere behind technical difficulties and tedious fetch quests there is a decent RPG-Shooter. My assessment: Buy it after 10 patches and spend onlyIt´s ok.. Feels rushed.
I would have accepted frame rate and texture loading issues like in the previous Bioware games. But these animation and art asset bugs are staining the otherwise pristine reputation of "new" Bioware. To be fair somewhere behind technical difficulties and tedious fetch quests there is a decent RPG-Shooter. My assessment: Buy it after 10 patches and spend only 40$/€ on consoles, because on launch day, it´s a mid-tier game with AAA-paintjob.… Expand

Perxoda

Mar 23, 2017

5

What a goddamn joke. I personally can overlook all of the poor dialogue and animation. I'm a player that goes in for gameplay, but the combat system and balancing are just a joke.

When playing on any difficulty higher than normal the enemies become bullet spunges. The fun part is that they're still overly aggresive and just keep walking towards you while insta-blasting your shields. AsWhat a goddamn joke. I personally can overlook all of the poor dialogue and animation. I'm a player that goes in for gameplay, but the combat system and balancing are just a joke.

When playing on any difficulty higher than normal the enemies become bullet spunges. The fun part is that they're still overly aggresive and just keep walking towards you while insta-blasting your shields. As the AI of your allies is about as good as having a twig to back you up, you're mostly fighting alone. This meens you'll be seeing a lot of checkpoints.

Yes, checkpoints.... And they're at some unbelievable poor places. I can't count all the times I had to go over the same four or five minutes or walking/driving to get back to the point I was. When I got there I basically got shot down by an overwhelming amount of enemies yet again. This is just the most lazy kind of combat design I've seen in years. Add to that faults that should have not been close to a released game like enemies moving through objects (still being able to hit you, but not vice verse) and mistakes the average steam greenlight developer would even cringe at.

If you're thinking of buying this game for the gameplay: leave it.
If you're thinking of buying this game for the graphics: hahahahahahahaha, nope.
If you're thinking of buying this game for the story: look elsewhere.

It's a shame that the ME title got put onto this dirthole of a game.… Expand

Hivetyrant7

Mar 24, 2017

5

Game i gorgeous. No argument there, visually striking, atmospheric and the sound direction is great as I would expect from a Mass Effect game.

What I don't expect from a Mass Effect game in 2017 however are these bloody awful facial animations and character models (Heads mainly). I couldn't get far on the first planet after running into the aliens as the game engine would completelyGame i gorgeous. No argument there, visually striking, atmospheric and the sound direction is great as I would expect from a Mass Effect game.

What I don't expect from a Mass Effect game in 2017 however are these bloody awful facial animations and character models (Heads mainly). I couldn't get far on the first planet after running into the aliens as the game engine would completely wonk out on random slopes and initiate that hilarious foot shuffle thing that stops you from moving. This along with the absurd auto saving interval meant I was replaying large sections every time I died from game bugs.

Mass Effect is my favorite series of all time (Hell, I even liked the ending of 3) but this one is really just not for me.… Expand

justin760

Mar 25, 2017

6

This was supposed to be epic, I was so excited for it. I am thoroughly disappointed. The game isn't terrible, but it is mediocre. The mission design has been one of the big aspects critics are unhappy with, and I agree. Some of the missions, or I should say MOST of them are shallow and boring. The side quests, which are usually the bread and butter for RPG games, are hollow and lifeless.This was supposed to be epic, I was so excited for it. I am thoroughly disappointed. The game isn't terrible, but it is mediocre. The mission design has been one of the big aspects critics are unhappy with, and I agree. Some of the missions, or I should say MOST of them are shallow and boring. The side quests, which are usually the bread and butter for RPG games, are hollow and lifeless. Some of the side quests are outright ridiculous and unacceptable for an RPG in 2017. One of them had me speak to an Angaran women who was upset because her sister was missing, Literally ten feet down the path and you find the body of her sister, scan it, then return to the women and she says oh I told her not to work alone. Mission Completed. Really? Is that what Bioware considers a side quest to be? World of Warcraft had side quests with more content and that's saying A LOT.

The primary gameplay loop is going to planets, improve the living conditions so it can be settled on, and that's it. The first planet was good even though the overall design was boring and empty. It had a sense of purpose. But that feeling you get from exploration and seeing things for the first time quickly wanes and is totally gone after the first planet. All the planets are approached in the same way, you go to these underground vaults, (which by the way all look and feel identical), do these terrible puzzle mini games, and interact with computer consoles by holding E. Its sad that the main plot point in the game, the ancient technology vaults, were copy pasted throughout all the planets. They even recycle the voice overs from Ryder and your allies. Always the same lines for every vault, "ok, remenant vault. Lets see if we can get this place running." Then at the end: "That never gets any less terrifying." I mean couldn't they have recorded like two extra lines so its not the same stuff over and over and blatantly lazy?

Everything feels hollow in the game, even the rich Mass Effect mythos. The previous games all had such personality in the galaxy and alien races, that wonderful charm and intrigue that Bioware was once capable of producing. But in Andromeda, not even your team mates are interesting. The team banter during gameplay is GONE. The conversations that your team would have, during and outside of combat. Instead you get LITERALLY two, or maybe three different lines that they repeat like clockwork, every five minutes. Its a HUGE turn off for me, and it just seems lazy. Hearing "I wonder if the Angara would let us train with them?" over and over from Cora makes me not even want to have her come with me when I go out on missions. It just constantly pulls you out of the immersion and highlights how lifeless and hollow your team is. I'm not sure how Bioware could have gone backwards like that, considering even the first Mass Effect had better design in so many different aspects, but its sad.

A lot of people are upset because there is really not much technical advancement from the original ME games. I mean they have had so long since the last one, what like six years? Its baffling and hard to understand how or why this game is less impressive than ME:2 or 3. I am so disappointed, this was supposed to be a classic, like Witcher 3. But just another rare miss, another game with great potential that falls short of greatness. But that doesn't mean this game isn't fun or entertaining. I was expecting to be addicted and in love with it, sadly, I boot it up and can only stand playing it for a few hours a day, and then I'm sick of it. Ill finish it, but I'm at the point where I feel like I'm just trying to get my moneys worth and playing it is almost forced. There are a lot of great moments, but many bland moments in between those few good ones. Critics bashed the beginning of the game but I actually LOVED the beginning and thought it was amazing, it lost steam after the first planet. Heres to hoping that Bioware can bring ME series back to greatness. Or maybe its time to ditch the series and move onto a new IP.… Expand

Hectik

Mar 26, 2017

6

An honest review amongst all these **** black and white crap people are posting up.

First off, if you are going to compare with the last 3 instalments of ME you're going to be disappointed. No doubt about it. The last 3 are masterpieces, that's why the User Score is so low because of over a thousand hearts breaking. If you're a new starter and love RPGs and sci fi, you will enjoyAn honest review amongst all these **** black and white crap people are posting up.

First off, if you are going to compare with the last 3 instalments of ME you're going to be disappointed. No doubt about it. The last 3 are masterpieces, that's why the User Score is so low because of over a thousand hearts breaking.

If you're a new starter and love RPGs and sci fi, you will enjoy it. It's not the best game and it's definitely not the worst.

I've played all 3 and I knew with a different development team that this game isn't going to compare. So my standards aren't set so high. Think of it as Dragon Age: Inquisition in space. Here's my breakdown:

Pros
- Combat is exciting and faster pace with the introduction of the jump pack and dodge ability
- Large planet sandboxes with interesting terrain.
- Single Player and Multi Player trophies are combined (Don't play MP? You can get their trophies by completing certain SP tasks and vice versa).
- Large array of Weapon/armor customisation and development and Mods.
- The Nomad Land Rover is fun to drive
- They bring back Horde Mode from ME 3 and also Strike Teams

Cons
- Facial animations are crap
- Squad mate NPCs are forgettable and have no strong link with Protagonist
- The cover system in combat sucks and you pay dearly with it (same style they use with Ghost Recon: Wildlands)
- Resource gathering on planets is boring and most of the time unrewarding (you spend a minute flying to a planet and finding out you get fk all)
- The Tempest is tiny compared to the Normandy. Doesn't feel alive.
- Glitches and bugs everywhere (most are pretty funny)

Overall, 6. I seriously hope they learn from all these bad reviews,… Expand

MaXiMuS_54

Mar 23, 2017

5

Not much is original in this whack-a-mole. A series once liked for its story is ruined by meh acting, and terrible animations. Also -9000pts for misusing Natalie Dormer.

Skyline_RJ

Mar 21, 2017

5

I was a huge fan of ME3 multiplayer mode. I´ve created too much expectation waiting for a superb new outstanding multiplayer for this new generation. And suddenly everything is gone... forever...

Dabandaid

Mar 25, 2017

6

What a flop of a mass effect game.

The good: Combat style, and skill point placement The bad: Everything else. I will keep the review short. If you are a mass effect fan, dont get the game it will destroy the series. The game makes mass effect 3 poor story line look good. If you are a new player to the series, go for it, but after you beat it, go buy mass effect 2 and play a goodWhat a flop of a mass effect game.

The good: Combat style, and skill point placement

The bad: Everything else.

I will keep the review short. If you are a mass effect fan, dont get the game it will destroy the series. The game makes mass effect 3 poor story line look good. If you are a new player to the series, go for it, but after you beat it, go buy mass effect 2 and play a good mass effect game.

Ultimately, BioWare has failed completely. I dont know if this is because EA owns them and EA has failed to make a good game in awhile or why, but this game had so much potential and it failed. Just wait till all that not free DLC is released, which may make this game decent.… Expand

psomaster437

Mar 21, 2017

5

The multiplayer is/was fun sure, but the single-player is FAR more like dragon age inq in the terms of open world and story, and that kind of story telling is fine, but having to gather 5k resources ON FOOT is not my thing and then having a finite amount of them so you can't craft all the things or experiment without TONS of farming. I did not get through the 2nd mission at nearly 7 hoursThe multiplayer is/was fun sure, but the single-player is FAR more like dragon age inq in the terms of open world and story, and that kind of story telling is fine, but having to gather 5k resources ON FOOT is not my thing and then having a finite amount of them so you can't craft all the things or experiment without TONS of farming. I did not get through the 2nd mission at nearly 7 hours into the story!

That is what made me quit playing the dragon age INQ, it just kept GOING with VERY little story progression, and if you did a side mission/quest it would rope you into side dungeons/events you COULD NOT LEAVE without spending another hour or something in them. Sure ME1-2-3 did that kind of thing, but it was FAR more linear with FAR more choices and impacts while this style of open world only results in a FEW choices mattering and any of those choices only effect what a few chars say to you not their entire character. IE in ME1-2-3 and dragon age 1-2 you could make someone hate you or disrespect them and it would effect their combat skills or unlock/lock skills, in this, just, nothing, they change a few key words of dialog.

They also severally limited gameplay in terms of combat this time. No letting you use health-kits like in ME1-2-3, having to find ammo from crates in preset spots with only 4 ammo reloads, each gun takes up a refill so if you restock 2 guns with ammo 2 of the 4 refills are used, instead of dropped ammo from enemies.

Limited use of abilities by saying it uses a power cell, weapons start out SUPER weak unless you have difficulty set down, you can't rez a teammate from a distance because you have to run up to them out of cover and hold to rez, your limited to ONLY 3 ABILITIES unless you hot-swap to another PRESET set of abilities which then sets those new abilities on a COOL-DOWN when swapped to even if your abilities were fully ready. IE see dropship dropping tons of grunts, swap to AOE power set as you enter combat, OOOPS to bad, you now have to wait 30-40 seconds to use your abilities now....

And don't get me started on the animations. I just replayed through the series and watched others stream it on twitch A LOT recently. The fact they could not import/adapt even just the facial motions etc from the first 3 games is VERY sad. I mean wasn't Dragon Age INQ using the same engine? Could they not use the same assets/code for facial animations? Those were at-least far better and it was in the same engine with likely only SOME code needing to be redone to get it to fit on the models right.

Overall I am giving it a lower score of 5 until the issues are fixed. As which point I will redo my review.… Expand

Shaftoe

Mar 22, 2017

7

Its not great, but its certainly not as bad as everyone is claiming. The facial animations are awful. its true, its a major step backwards. The writing is exactly the same as every other recent bioware game - its not got the more mature / developed plot of Witcher 3.

But the game play is fun, the story is essentially on par w/ other Mass effect games. If you liked the other games,Its not great, but its certainly not as bad as everyone is claiming. The facial animations are awful. its true, its a major step backwards. The writing is exactly the same as every other recent bioware game - its not got the more mature / developed plot of Witcher 3.

But the game play is fun, the story is essentially on par w/ other Mass effect games. If you liked the other games, you will most likely enjoy this game. I definitely would suggest buying it, but perhaps on sale, depending on how much you liked the previous games.

Basically, most of the negativity focuses on the really strange facial animation of the humans, which is true, but is really a relatively minor detail in the game.… Expand

kwstas

Mar 25, 2017

7

this game reminds in some ways dragon age inquisition it is not perect and it had changed in a way for good and worst . for instance the story line and the characters are not so well designed and memorable , the whole scenario is a little bit pathetic and cheesy but this is not what disappoint me the most , the worst thing is that the game have some issues and bugs probably some glitchesthis game reminds in some ways dragon age inquisition it is not perect and it had changed in a way for good and worst . for instance the story line and the characters are not so well designed and memorable , the whole scenario is a little bit pathetic and cheesy but this is not what disappoint me the most , the worst thing is that the game have some issues and bugs probably some glitches and there is some lag and that is what i hate so bad . anyway i still give it a 7 because it is still a cool game it has really nice graphics and the planets design is beautiful enough also the combat feels really great sometimes . it is perfectly clear that ea didnt do the best work here but still the game is underrated and i think some people overacted the 4/10 is just too low but anyway everyone have his opinion so whatever.. but i would love to say to anyone who hesitate to buy this game because of the critics dont even bother listen to them most people know nothing about games there not even gamers most of them and i swear you wouldnt even believe what super crap games hit 9 and 10 in this site..… Expand

Eyeless_Pilot

Apr 1, 2017

5

It has it's problems, people have probably covered them at length already, facial animations, some of the character models (I happen to really like the default female Ryder though, puts me in the minority I think)... I personally don't think these detract from the experience too much. I have found the combat to be great fun and the multiplayer to be pretty strong. The charactersIt has it's problems, people have probably covered them at length already, facial animations, some of the character models (I happen to really like the default female Ryder though, puts me in the minority I think)... I personally don't think these detract from the experience too much. I have found the combat to be great fun and the multiplayer to be pretty strong. The characters abilities have been much improved from the previous games, biotics actually seem powerful now! I'm 15 hours in so can't comment on the story too much, as I haven't seen much of it.

My biggest problem with the game are awful design decisions. For example, if I want to change my loadout (including what armour I wear) I have to do it in a room just off the bridge of the Tempest (Ryder's ship), or as I deploy on a mission; if I want to change the colour of the armour , I have to go to her quarters on the Tempest... It's a minor annoyance that can become extremely aggravating, especially when you combine it with things like pressing one button to open a menu and another to close it.

Not sure where all the zero scores are coming from, the game works and looks good for the most part which should earn at least a point or two! It's certainly not the disappointment that Dragon Age Inquisition was.

Edit: I'm now about thirty hours in and I have reduced the score a bit more. The locations remind me a lot of dragon age inquisition, they don't feel like open worlds to explore (for example you are in space suits that can resist radiation and poisonous gases but not go in water?). You can die from falling from height (despite having a jet pack AND despite it happening in one of the opening cut scenes, during which Ryder uses said jet pack to prevent death), areas just feel like an arbitrary are that has been built for a few fetch quests. The pockets of kett or remnant held areas are fortifications that you can attack, however the areas around them are often completely open providing you with no cover and them all the cover they need. The land vehicle has no weapons, which makes it a load of arse and you can't run people over, so you are forced into full frontal assaults (unless you have the tactical cloak)... The more I play, the more these spurious design decisions show their faces and reduce my enjoyment. Almost every mission requires you to scan something, oh look a meteorite, let's scan it, now it makes aliens attack, lets hold Y to stop that happening. "Hello pathfinder..." How do you know I am a pathfinder? You are an alien race I have only just encountered for the first time an hour ago, on a different planet and you are a prisoner of the Kett?

Combat is till generally fun though very easy, even on insanity, will it keep me playing long enough to finish? I doubt it but we shall see.

second edit: Sudoku to unlock terminals!?! Radiation or cold to limit your exploration?!? An omni-tool on your wrist that can interface with alien technology, turn into a melee weapon and conjure automated turrets... But I have to go back to my cabin and desktop computer to get my emails or send out strike teams!!!! What the **** were the designers thinking, I can check my emails on my mobile phone!!! The design decisions in this game work against it in every way. Imagine that Friends episode, where Monica declares "the rules control the fun" except here they don't control, they limit. It's getting tiresome, I'm really struggling to give a flying **** about the story because of so many of the awful game mechanics. The more I play, the more I see of Dragon Age Inquisition and the more I dislike it

Score reduced to 5, after 31 hours.… Expand

GamerJosh0137

Mar 21, 2017

7

Mass Effect Andromeda is not at all a bad game or in my experience, as broken as some would leave you to believe. Animations are bad, I have had a few “backwards gun” instances, and some dialogue issues but these are all things relatively easy to fix via patch. It will really depend on the player and what he or she can tolerate and what they can’t. The one thing that can’t be fixedMass Effect Andromeda is not at all a bad game or in my experience, as broken as some would leave you to believe. Animations are bad, I have had a few “backwards gun” instances, and some dialogue issues but these are all things relatively easy to fix via patch. It will really depend on the player and what he or she can tolerate and what they can’t. The one thing that can’t be fixed would be it’s writing. Mass Effect Andromeda puts you in a new galaxy with new planets, but fails to match the wonder and excitement of discovery by making characters say the WORST possible things at the WORST possible times. This is a very effective way of taking the player out of the “moment” only to realize they are playing a video game. Then there are the dialogue options. I get that the paragon and renegade system might be “too Shepard” but nevertheless that system added depth and weight to each choice as well as consequence. In MA: Andromeda you will usually have 3 or 4 options varying from rational, emotional, or sarcastic. The problem is you can pretty much choose whatever you want but everything still plays out the same. This seems like it will make the player not care at all about what they say, which is a HUGE part of the Mass Effect series, and in my opinion what made Mass Effect Mass Effect. On the other hand I think the combat will be what saves this game. It’s fun, fluid and with the large amount of biotics, combat can be tailored to any play style. Enemies are quite challenging. I, as well as other reviewers from what I have seen have died a few times just on the tutorial planet. When it comes down to it Mass Effect Andromeda is nowhere near the greatness of the original trilogy and can unfortunately will probably be compared to being the “Phantom Menace” of the Mass Effect saga. If you are a long time Mass Effect fan looking for a evolution of the Mass Effect series this is not where you want to look. However, if all you need is more Mass Effect, Mass Effect Andromeda will be totally adequate.… Expand

bcount23

Mar 21, 2017

7

0/10 really people? The game is not broken and unplayable. It doesn't come close to how great the first 3 games are, but hopefully bioware will get it right next time. Facial animation are really bad for a lot of the characters. The voice acting can be cringe at certain times. I am still really enjoying the game, but there are some issues I cannot over look. I would recommend people to0/10 really people? The game is not broken and unplayable. It doesn't come close to how great the first 3 games are, but hopefully bioware will get it right next time. Facial animation are really bad for a lot of the characters. The voice acting can be cringe at certain times. I am still really enjoying the game, but there are some issues I cannot over look. I would recommend people to wait until there is a price drop and pick up horizon or zelda instead.… Expand

Mordanthal

Mar 27, 2017

5

After I hit the 10 hour mark into this game I felt generally positive about it....but I am well past the 40 hour mark now and I am finding I care so little about the characters, the narrative, and generally what I am supposed to be doing that, after completing what seemed like the 100th pointless side quest, I sent my Ryder off a cliff and quit out. I'm done. The original and genuinelyAfter I hit the 10 hour mark into this game I felt generally positive about it....but I am well past the 40 hour mark now and I am finding I care so little about the characters, the narrative, and generally what I am supposed to be doing that, after completing what seemed like the 100th pointless side quest, I sent my Ryder off a cliff and quit out. I'm done. The original and genuinely inspiring promise of possibilities set up early in the game is constantly undermined by sub-par writing, the clueless VA, the baffling antiquated UI, awful space exploration, inexcusable glitches, and a lack of soul. Worst of all, it is boring. The tragedy here is that there was some real artistic talent and good work on display buried at the bottom of this pile. The Mass Effect echoes I liked about this game early on slowly and steadily got beaten down by the reality of what it was, and for a game that took that long and cost that much money, it boggles the mind.… Expand

DanaDark

Mar 21, 2017

7

The Good: Storyline so far is alright. I don't feel lost, I do feel invested, and I enjoy the amount of options I get in my replies. I like the gameplay and the mechanics. The waiting between planets is no big deal to me, and I personally am a little more intuitive than the average player so haven't had issues with the UI at all.

The Bad: It is an obvious bait and switch with graphicsThe Good: Storyline so far is alright. I don't feel lost, I do feel invested, and I enjoy the amount of options I get in my replies. I like the gameplay and the mechanics. The waiting between planets is no big deal to me, and I personally am a little more intuitive than the average player so haven't had issues with the UI at all.

The Bad: It is an obvious bait and switch with graphics and animation. Looking at some trailer stuff versus the in-game versions and the difference is striking. I can normally forgive some post processing to make a game look better... but this is jarring. Playing the game, I didn't really notice. Once I looked at the trailer and other things, it was like 'Oh dang, what the...'.

Overall, it is a god game. Fun. Looks good. Just wish they didn't over sell on the graphics and animations.… Expand

4estGimp

Mar 26, 2017

5

I tried to like the game but just could not stomach it. This is from a guy who played ME1, 2, & 3 multiple times. Those games literally pulled a player into an emotional investment with the main characters. That was the most compelling part of the franchise. In addition to that, the modeling, voice acting and stories were just great. Andromeda has creepy looking faces, "even" lightingI tried to like the game but just could not stomach it. This is from a guy who played ME1, 2, & 3 multiple times. Those games literally pulled a player into an emotional investment with the main characters. That was the most compelling part of the franchise. In addition to that, the modeling, voice acting and stories were just great. Andromeda has creepy looking faces, "even" lighting when in-doors, odd animations, and the dialog is just ... meh. After 2 days of playing I didn't "care" about any of the characters. Luckily, an EA chat agent did give me a refund. This game is a lackluster mess.… Expand

espertherealist

Mar 21, 2017

7

let me first say, this isnt going to be a review mindlessly bashing the game, but im not going to white knight for it either. let me be frank, this game has serious issues. the pop ins, goofy facial animations, and all manner of awkward glitches occur. and if thats not enough, the character creation is just... bad. honestly worse than the 1st game... but with that being said, does thislet me first say, this isnt going to be a review mindlessly bashing the game, but im not going to white knight for it either. let me be frank, this game has serious issues. the pop ins, goofy facial animations, and all manner of awkward glitches occur. and if thats not enough, the character creation is just... bad. honestly worse than the 1st game... but with that being said, does this game deserve a user rating of 3.7? no.

the combat in this game is addictive, and quite fun, the exploration is also enjoyable. the only way you could rate this game a 3.7 (or lower) is by completely ignoring all the good aspects, and solely focusing on the negative. is this game an 8/10? no. it has too many issues to get a high rating imo. is this game worth full price in its current state? probably not. but if a patch comes out fixing the issues that i previously mentioned, i might just change my opinion on that.

in conclusion, the game has serious issues that are hard to ignore but the gameplay itself is enjoyable, i would say maybe give it a chance once a few patches have been released.

(and if you were wondering yes you can definitely see that the people who made this game had a political agenda they wanted to push, but its really not as bad as some are making it out to be)… Expand

ChickenCrimpy

Mar 25, 2017

7

I don't get all the hate. I nearly didn't buy this because of all the hate and bad reviews. Lucky I chose to ignore them. Is it perfect? No, the facial animations are distracting but I find them quite funny. Is the game rubbish? No. The gunfights and basic game play are well done. People that are giving this game a 0 are simply trolling it seems. They state they like certain aspects yetI don't get all the hate. I nearly didn't buy this because of all the hate and bad reviews. Lucky I chose to ignore them. Is it perfect? No, the facial animations are distracting but I find them quite funny. Is the game rubbish? No. The gunfights and basic game play are well done. People that are giving this game a 0 are simply trolling it seems. They state they like certain aspects yet still give it a 0? Really? This game seems to suffer the same fate as COD and Assassins Creed. I don't think giving a game 0 is a fair review. I'm an avid Mass Effect fan. This game is a nice offshoot to the old series. I'm having fun with this game. It seems the patch fixed all of the bugs people complained about. I haven't encountered any at all 15 hours in! Its a slow starter but once you get past prologue its great. Not everyone will love this game but its a good t=game for me, and I feel many others. The average score is slowly getting higher which should tell you that the people that have actually played the game are weighing into the debate. Get the game and make your own decision, Don't be swayed by all these negative scores, many of which it seems haven't played the game at all.… Expand

JimBlowman

Mar 22, 2017

7

I have enjoyed ME from the first game to the third game, and each had it's pros and cons. This last game is no different in that regard, but WHERE it lags is a bit tragic. The best way to sum up this game is to describe it as a rough draft. There is so much that is good, and so much that needs editing. The parts that need editing are the parts that hooked most of the ME fans though -I have enjoyed ME from the first game to the third game, and each had it's pros and cons. This last game is no different in that regard, but WHERE it lags is a bit tragic. The best way to sum up this game is to describe it as a rough draft. There is so much that is good, and so much that needs editing. The parts that need editing are the parts that hooked most of the ME fans though - characters, plot, dialogue. It's frustrating to see the quality in the game be lost amidst the rough portions. I am really enjoying the feel of the game, the combat, the planet exploration, the codex reading, and the "talkie techie" stuff in the game. But I can't defend the poor animation choices and poor human character design, thinner plot, and rough dialogue. Thankfully for me, those issues have not persuaded me to abandon the game because they are not always present - and sometimes they actually work well. Please don't think it's all bad. Rarely is anything so black and white as that. My advice is that when the price is right for you, give it a shot and decide for yourself. You may find that the rough draft is still worth reading.… Expand

MistyFalls

Mar 27, 2017

5

Mass Effect Andromeda made me realize that a game can't just solely depend on a single element to be a good game. MEA has fantastic combat however it is hinder with its atrocious writing and ugly animations. For an RPG like Mass Effect, immersion is very important. Many times that immersion is ruined because of how laughable the animations are. For example the fighting sequences in theMass Effect Andromeda made me realize that a game can't just solely depend on a single element to be a good game. MEA has fantastic combat however it is hinder with its atrocious writing and ugly animations. For an RPG like Mass Effect, immersion is very important. Many times that immersion is ruined because of how laughable the animations are. For example the fighting sequences in the cutscenes look very ugly and unpolished. It's sad that Bioware didn't thoroughly checked the game's quality before release. Or maybe they thought the quality is already sufficient. After 5 years since ME3, this feels very underwhelming. If we ever see ME5, I hope Bioware would be humble and learn from this grim mistake.… Expand

ryan7752

Mar 23, 2017

7

While not being a bad game I am very disappointed in this. Andromeda kinda feels like a direct to video version of mass effect where they couldn't get back all of the characters that everybody loved so they tried to take the archetypes and build new, ultimately less interesting characters around them. You have the Citadel that is really not the Citadel (the Nexus), the Normandy that isWhile not being a bad game I am very disappointed in this. Andromeda kinda feels like a direct to video version of mass effect where they couldn't get back all of the characters that everybody loved so they tried to take the archetypes and build new, ultimately less interesting characters around them. You have the Citadel that is really not the Citadel (the Nexus), the Normandy that is not the actual Normandy (the Tempest), and so on. I guess what I am getting at is that sometimes when I am playing this game it feels like a very large portion of the game was made by amateurs. The writing is hit or miss, the facial animations can look really messed up at times, and the gun play is still a little off for my liking. Overall this game kind of just feels lazily made.… Expand

fooey

Mar 27, 2017

6

Decent, if generic, sci-fi shooter wrapped in a creepy Mass Effect skin.

This is the game where EA decided to cash out on the Mass Effect brand by shoveling out the bare minimum they thought they could get away with. Mass Effect has unquestionably lost its standing as a top echelon franchise.

MalavarTCOne

Mar 24, 2017

7

Not amazing, not bad. Somewhere in the 'meh its okay' range. Faces and animations are a little off but the overall size and variety of the universe and gameplay mechanics give a good gameplay experience overall. As long as you can look past weird facial expressions you can enjoy it.

Sylentmana

Mar 22, 2017

6

There are many problems with this title, but I found myself enjoying the game none the less. Unlike many who played this game, I am not a fan of the past Mass Effect games. When it comes to sci-fi I'm not particularly fond of the dark and bleak atmosphere of those those game. Mass Effect Andromeda seems to go in the opposite direction.

The story is one of optimism and discovery ratherThere are many problems with this title, but I found myself enjoying the game none the less. Unlike many who played this game, I am not a fan of the past Mass Effect games. When it comes to sci-fi I'm not particularly fond of the dark and bleak atmosphere of those those game. Mass Effect Andromeda seems to go in the opposite direction.

The story is one of optimism and discovery rather than extinction and doom. Even the interiors of ships are different. Where the Normandy was all black and orange, the ships in Andromeda are white and blue giving them a clean and sleek sci-fi look, which I like. I personally found the story and most dialogue to be interesting despite a few moments of incredibly bad writing. These moments are cringe-worthy to be sure, but when it shines, it shines brightly.

Unlike most Bioware games, the combat is definitely the best part of this game, and this is from someone who doesn't really like shooters. There are a lot of ways to customize your character's combat abilities and you can change up your roles so if you find you don't like one role, you don't have to worry about starting a new character to try out another. The combat is fast and fun and allows you to mix in gun play, melee, and biotics (space magic) to sow chaos across the battlefield and make your enemies cry like babies. This is somewhat surprising considering the lead combat designer is a massive white-hating racist. I guess talent and being a decent person do not need to go together.

The environments are also quite beautiful and diverse ranging from jungles to deserts to icy snow-covered tundras. Tearing across them in my not-Mako was pretty fun, though it quickly becomes clear that they are really just empty albeit beautiful set pieces.

The game does have a number of issues that have been pointed out by many others. The character animations are often awkward and janky, which is par for the coarse from a Bioware game. The facial animations are where the most laughs will come from. Some range from robotic to downright bizarre, but always gave me a good chuckle. Many may find this immersion breaking, but I've always been able to compartmentalize these sorts of things from my immersion, so it wasn't really an issue for me. Luckily, I have not encountered any game breaking bugs during my play-through.

The side-quest structure is also nothing to write home about, with them often resembling MMO fetch quests. Fortunately, while not very interesting, these quests do give at least a sense of progression toward the goal of colonizing the galaxy.

All in all, the game speaks more of what could have been. It's wasted potential is glaringly obvious even to those who never played the original trilogy. The game ultimately feels rushed and it is apparent that Bioware did not hire the best to work on this game, settling on the merely average. The Mass Effect legacy deserves better than this as do its fans. It is merely an average game that objectively deserves a 5/10 but I gave it a 6 simply because of the personal enjoyment I squeezed out of it. Perhaps next time, Bioware will focus on hiring and retaining the best people for the job rather then hiring to meet diversity quotas. After all, diversity for diversity's sake does not a good game make.… Expand

SpecialJ

Mar 24, 2017

7

A good, not great game. Yes, there are animation issues but I find the rage over them overblown. The dialog is mostly fine (again not great), but there are some real clunkers. Addison might be the single worst executed character in any ME game ever, and really highlights the problems, except she isn't the whole game.

The action however is pretty fun. Bioware/EA really should haveA good, not great game. Yes, there are animation issues but I find the rage over them overblown. The dialog is mostly fine (again not great), but there are some real clunkers. Addison might be the single worst executed character in any ME game ever, and really highlights the problems, except she isn't the whole game.

The action however is pretty fun. Bioware/EA really should have taken the time to give this more polish.… Expand

Gyer

Mar 27, 2017

6

Technically very poor - a lot has been mentioned about the poor animations, but what struck me most was the terrible lip syncing and awful facial textures - all the human characters look like they have mud splattered all over their faces. On the plus side, it plays just like all the previous mass effect games, so the gameplay is still fun, and the multiplayer is an expanded version of ME3Technically very poor - a lot has been mentioned about the poor animations, but what struck me most was the terrible lip syncing and awful facial textures - all the human characters look like they have mud splattered all over their faces. On the plus side, it plays just like all the previous mass effect games, so the gameplay is still fun, and the multiplayer is an expanded version of ME3 MP, so that's a win. I had such high hopes for this game as I am a huge mass effect fan, so the fact that the game is graphically so poor is a huge let down.… Expand

rachso

Mar 27, 2017

5

Okay its not that bad. its just insulting. from bioware we expected more, DO YOU KNOW THAT ALL ASARI FACES ARE RECYCLED ASIDE FROM PEEBEE.. its this much laziness that annoys me. games come out with bugs so that is fine they can be patched, but this game had nothing memorable at all. i don't plan on replaying it which is sad because this game has very interesting characters and a fewOkay its not that bad. its just insulting. from bioware we expected more, DO YOU KNOW THAT ALL ASARI FACES ARE RECYCLED ASIDE FROM PEEBEE.. its this much laziness that annoys me. games come out with bugs so that is fine they can be patched, but this game had nothing memorable at all. i don't plan on replaying it which is sad because this game has very interesting characters and a few interesting things but they are covered in "go here fetch this." there is a lot to do but its all most all boring. There is nothing memorable about this game. You go to another galaxy and it still looks like ours? Er go no vision and creativity at all. The new aliens don't look that alien. putting wired legs on a thing doesn't make it alien we have that already. they look Like space Protheans. oh maybe its on purpose who knows lets see how it ends i have one mission left. AFTER WITCHER 3 AND PREVIOUS MASS EFFECT GAMES THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED. No patch can fix this broken and scattered story. Also for those of you who are saying sjw propaganda er go no hot females presets, have you seen the male presets? they are twice as ugly..… Expand

EnderDragon

Apr 5, 2017

7

I was expecting very little after the snore fest that was the entirety of Mass Effect 3 (expect the ending, I genuinely liked the original ending and hate that they caved in to the whiny, self-entitled crybabies that ruined it by making them change it.) and after the utter disappointment that was Dragon Age: Inquisition, and I think that is why I enjoy Mass Effect: Andromeda. Yes, I haveI was expecting very little after the snore fest that was the entirety of Mass Effect 3 (expect the ending, I genuinely liked the original ending and hate that they caved in to the whiny, self-entitled crybabies that ruined it by making them change it.) and after the utter disappointment that was Dragon Age: Inquisition, and I think that is why I enjoy Mass Effect: Andromeda. Yes, I have hit some of the character model animation glitches, arms flailing, eyes rolling sideways until it is all white, a dead character glitched in to the ground that I can not revive, etc. But, aside from that, I enjoy the story they were trying to impart, even though it seems the writers lacked the proper ability to convey it. Is this a perfect game? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. But they are working to make it better, and I commend them for it. Publishers make the developers send the game to print by a deadline, and sometimes they are not finished. But it is what the developer does after the game is sent to print that matters at that point. We get day zero and day one patches, or early patches like what ME:A is getting soon to fix things they did not have time to address because of a deadline. I am willing to give this game a chance because of that.… Expand

Featured

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Review this game

Awards & Rankings

Essential Links

Critic Reviews

3	#3 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
5	#5 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017