Mass Effect: Andromeda

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 4128 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,607 out of 4128
  2. Mixed: 660 out of 4128
  3. Negative: 1,861 out of 4128
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  1. 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 like    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 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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)
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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) Customization    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)
    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
  11. 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.
  12. 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 in    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 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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 plot    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 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
  16. 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, It    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, 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
  17. 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
  18. 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 pick    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 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
  19. 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 feels    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 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
  20. 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 of    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 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
  21. 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 criticized    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 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
  22. 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 planets    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 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
  23. 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
  24. 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....
  25. 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
  26. PensionerR
    Feb 11, 2021
    7
    Не слушайте обзорщиков, она может и слабее оригинальной трилогии, но точно стоит потраченного времени.
  27. 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: 9    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: 9
    Story: 6.5
    Music: 8.5
    The game has makings of being great, it just falls short on story and character.    … Expand
  28. 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 a    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 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
  29. 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
  30. 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.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 61 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 61
  3. Negative: 1 out of 61
  1. Power Unlimited
    Oct 19, 2017
    78
    It might be the biggest, most complex and action packed game in the franchise, but Mass Effect: Andromeda is also the least convincing one. The dated facial animations, the inconsistent writing quality and the regularly occurring bugs take you out of the experience too often. On top of that, BioWare has not used the concept of a whole new universe to its full potential, which often makes it feel like Mass Effect: Andromeda has not left our Milky Way at all.
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  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jul 7, 2017
    70
    While it’s underwhelming in places, there’s a lot to like as you venture into the weirder parts of Andromeda. Frequent technical issues hamper the experience a bit, as does an uninspiring main story. [June 2017, p66]
  3. Games Master UK
    Jun 6, 2017
    81
    A welcome, if slightly patch return for Mass Effect. The script has problems, but combat is bloody brilliant. [May 2017, p.62]
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