Mass Effect: Andromeda

 Xbox One
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1225 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 548 out of 1225
  2. Mixed: 154 out of 1225
  3. Negative: 523 out of 1225
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  1. GsPlayer
    May 15, 2017
    4
    As the 810 reviewer, I understand this wont get read much. But the game was such a disappointment, I couldn't help but put a review in.

    The tone of the game is just terrible. Travelling to a new galaxy should bring high levels of excitement and 'fear of the unknown' to the characters. Instead, it's self-consumed whinny wimps, asking for you to make them feel better everywhere you    As the 810 reviewer, I understand this wont get read much. But the game was such a disappointment, I couldn't help but put a review in.

    The tone of the game is just terrible. Travelling to a new galaxy should bring high levels of excitement and 'fear of the unknown' to the characters. Instead, it's self-consumed whinny wimps, asking for you to make them feel better everywhere you turn.

    Ryder talks like a civilian and lacks any true leadership skills or toughness, although he/she is a good smart ass at times.

    Driving around in the future's worst off road vehicle is just brutal. And made three times worse given you have to listen to your team member's P@ssy Whinny Wimpy Self Absorbed banter the whole time.

    Gameplay is long and tedious, and outside of a handful of good battles the shooting is easy and repetative.

    Im just finishing the game in hope of the next game being better, and to see if any of my choices actually matter to the ultimate outcome.    … Expand
  2. Kenmei
    Apr 3, 2017
    4
    I got the distinct impression that Bioware didn't learn anything from the failures of Mass Effect 3, beyond the crappy ending. Andromeda is a very disappointing next step in the Mass Effect world and has no baring on the original series. What was supposed to be a new beginning for the series gets off on a very mediocre note filled with tons of bugs and glitches and just generally boringI got the distinct impression that Bioware didn't learn anything from the failures of Mass Effect 3, beyond the crappy ending. Andromeda is a very disappointing next step in the Mass Effect world and has no baring on the original series. What was supposed to be a new beginning for the series gets off on a very mediocre note filled with tons of bugs and glitches and just generally boring gameplay. And while there are some very good moments sprinkled in the game, there are far too many mediocre/bad ones that those moments can't rise to the surface.
    The story is a mix bag. With a slower beginning/middle and decent end part. While the ending is very open to another game in the series, there were tons of unanswered questions left open from the main important quests you could do. While there's tons of potential for DLC there, it's a wonder what Bioware will actually do here. Especially about half of the life forms from the Mass Effect universe aren't in this game (I'm particularly upset there are no Quarians in the game world so far). The two new races are a mixed bag as well. The Kett being very similar in look to the Protheans from the first game and the Angarans not being very interesting honestly. And your crew is also shortened up by quite a bit with only 6 choices to choose from, and 2 of them being regular humans. No one stands out in this group like Garrius or Tali from the first series but there are some good ones here. The best parts of the game are the crew interactions with each other and how witty and clever it can be while driving over planets. And some of their loyalty missions are great, including one that I personally felt was the best mission since ME2. But on the flip side there's also some very boring characters, including the new female Turian who is just boring and doesn't contribute much to the story.
    Gameplay hasn't changed much from the ME3, with the addition of a jetpack that is kinda neat. However the jetpack got me stuck a few times, which leads to the biggest problem with the game: the bugs and glitches. I personally didn't have too many problems with this until the mid point of the game where it became almost crippling. Tons of lag and pop-in, doors not opening, glitched cutscenes, freezes, you name it. I had just about every bug type known to gaming hit me during the last half of the game and it almost caused me to quit the game. It feels like the game wasn't finished with testing before it was released. And this is supposed to be with a patch to fix these things.
    In the end, I can't recommend this in it's current state because of the bugs and glitches. There are things here that fans will like and the few missions that I loved and the crew interactions are pretty much the only reason why I'm giving this game the score I did. However it's a broken mess that needs patching asap to fix all the problems before answering any questions there might be about story continuation or even a ME:A2. Because Bioware has shown they didn't learn anything beyond not making a crappy ending when they went from ME 3 to this. And I'm losing hope with them that they're figure it out for the sequel.    … Expand
  3. pnathan28
    Mar 29, 2017
    4
    This game is a massive disappointment. I am a huge Mass Effect fan, having played the first 3 games multiple times and in comparison Andromeda falls woefully short. First, the combat is smoother and faster but they have removed direct control and customization for squad members. The facial animations are HORRENDOUS and really take you out of the game, but the environments are done prettyThis game is a massive disappointment. I am a huge Mass Effect fan, having played the first 3 games multiple times and in comparison Andromeda falls woefully short. First, the combat is smoother and faster but they have removed direct control and customization for squad members. The facial animations are HORRENDOUS and really take you out of the game, but the environments are done pretty well. The writing is also mediocre at best, given that Mass Effect writing hasn't always been high literature but at least it was funny, charming and enough to get you invested in the story. I'm already 25 hours into Andromeda and i just cant get myself to care about the stories and the characters. My biggest disappointment were the mundane fetch quests that just littered the game. It seemed like a majority of the quests were a simple go here find 3 of these and sent you off to all corners of the map, and it got really old really fast. Which is really sad because there is a good game in here somewhere, the areas are massive and there is plenty to explore.… Expand
  4. Vitality4Gamers
    Mar 26, 2017
    4
    I have enjoyed aspects of the game and nowhere near the level I would of expected. Many areas are without proper polish and the formula doesn't seem to have improved. At one point I am looking at an image of the universe that is flat (obvious skybox), poor detail and ruins the atmosphere; this sums up the game..
  5. partyintheback
    Mar 21, 2017
    4
    If Gameloft made a Mass Effect title, it'd look a lot like Andromeda. While this game offers more exploration than Mass Effect 2 and 3 - and I welcome that, it also offers some of the lousiest characters ever to appear in a Mass Effect. Both lead characters, the male and female Ryder, are abysmal. From shoddy animation work, to poorly detailed character models, to unacceptably poorIf Gameloft made a Mass Effect title, it'd look a lot like Andromeda. While this game offers more exploration than Mass Effect 2 and 3 - and I welcome that, it also offers some of the lousiest characters ever to appear in a Mass Effect. Both lead characters, the male and female Ryder, are abysmal. From shoddy animation work, to poorly detailed character models, to unacceptably poor dialogue and voice acting, this is a disappointing outing all around. The Bioware of today is not the Bioware we knew and loved - it's merely a shell of its former self. Dragon Age II was the beginning of the end and Andromeda is the end.… Expand
  6. peabuddie
    May 25, 2017
    4
    Let's all just agree that Shepard is a hard act to follow. Any thought of going into this thinking that it's going to be like the trilogy is unrealistic. It IS Mass Effect but in a way we haven't seen before.Having completed the game I have lowered my score from a 7 to a 4. It is just that bad.
    So first the negative:
    I'm with the rest when it comes to the menus, they are a mess and not    Let's all just agree that Shepard is a hard act to follow. Any thought of going into this thinking that it's going to be like the trilogy is unrealistic. It IS Mass Effect but in a way we haven't seen before.Having completed the game I have lowered my score from a 7 to a 4. It is just that bad.
    So first the negative:
    I'm with the rest when it comes to the menus, they are a mess and not very intuitive. There are WAY too many menus, It's ridiculous.
    Planet scanning: there are 4 steps of fancy graphics just to scan the planet. Why? When will publishers learn to quit wasting our time. YOLO and I don't want to spend it going through 4 stages to scan a planet. Also apparantly there are anomalies detected even after I've scanned the entire system and found every thing and scanned every planet. If there is still something out there where is it? How did such a simple mechanic become so cumbersome?
    Remember how you could set up your team's load out? Well, if you still can I haven't been able to figure out how. 20 hours in and I don't even know what weapons my team is using.
    Again too much talk, I'm still trying to get past simply competent when it comes to combat because I've experienced so little of it.

    Graphical problems yes, they are there but I don't really care that much.
    Character models, expressions ( there aren't any they are all blank faced models), horrible, but whatever.
    When not in combat I can't get away from the feeling that I'm playing an electronic barbie house. It's too much Mass Effect the Social Game for me. Way beyond anything in the trilogy.

    It doesn't give clear enough information on how to do basic things. Healing is completely different as an example, but I don't recall ever being told how to heal. I just ended up figuring it out after x amount of hours. Considering the difference, it's rather important strategic information when your in the middle of a fire fight. And that's just one example that extends to crafting, resources, etc.

    Too me the resource gathering and crafting is a slow and painful process. I have found no joy in it thus far. It's frustrating. The separation of research and crafting uhhg ain't nobody got time for that. Does Bioware think that we live and breath their creations? so much of this game seems so self-involved of the devs. Like they live in a world where everyone has 20 hours to figure out their cumbersome systems for doing things and we're supposed to like it. Games are meant to be fun, not tiresome.
    It seems that EVERYTHING is way more complicated and time consuming than is necessary.
    .
    The creative decisions above and many more are mind boggling. They just make no sense.
    The writing is the worst writing of any bioware game ever. It is amateurish, immature and boring. Absolutely nothing about Andromeda's mission makes any logical sense on any level.

    There is plenty to do (way too much actually) and much of it may keep your attention. There are interesting worlds and situations and pretty environments. The combat IS fun, I just can't get enough of it.
    The ships are cool, the Nexus is cool as far as concepts go and there is plenty to see and explore. There is some fun to be had here.

    If you want to try this game out, first say your goodbyes to ME as you know it. Let Shepard rest and enter a new world in the ME universe. The cheaper, more amateurish, emptier universe. A universe that exploits the once mighty name of ME and Bioware.    … Expand
  7. rickxy007
    Mar 31, 2017
    4
    I have waited for this game to be released for 5 years. And It obviously raised a lot of anticipation, having to live up to one of the most successful and well developed game franchises ever. However, after playing roughly 3 hours of game, I simply ejected the disc, and I suppose I will never play it again. The customization options for the main character appear to be a collection ofI have waited for this game to be released for 5 years. And It obviously raised a lot of anticipation, having to live up to one of the most successful and well developed game franchises ever. However, after playing roughly 3 hours of game, I simply ejected the disc, and I suppose I will never play it again. The customization options for the main character appear to be a collection of stereotypical hair styles, from the "afro" to the "buzzcut", though most of the options remind me of a japanese emo boy band. In comparison with Skyrim, for example, Andromeda has maybe 1/10 of its customization options. Graphics seem last generation as well, it doesn't come even close to The Witcher 3, and it pales in comparison to Horizon: Zero Dawn. Character personalities are the same old formula, the tough female soldier (just like Cassandra on Dragon Age: Inquisition - another flop by the way), Liam is a photocopy of Kaiden (Mass Effect trilogy), not to mention the "mama's boy look" of the main character.
    The game would't be that disappointing had it not attempt to continue on a galaxy that brought so many joyous moments, and that is now stained by this sad excuse of a spin-off.
    Controls are weird and uncomfortable, the map system is abhorrent, the compass is confusing and the dialogue options are almost as lame as Fallout 4 (no one will ever beat that one). Combat is equally displeasing, not for the AI (which is lacking to say the least), but because there is no way to crouch or cover at will, and you depend on the AI (which is lacking, to say the least - part 2) to do it "semi-automatically".
    There has been a tendency to "actionize" RPGs, and games such as Horizon: Zero Dawn (to a certain extent - it is all in all an action game), Andromeda and Fallout 4 have become hybrids, as if sale volume has become the sole purpose for game development. Developers are trying to make an action game, or a FPS "look like" an RPG by adding dialogues and a couple of customization options, though the essence of a true RPG is not there. No options matter, because you will reach the same ending.
    And this is exactly what Andromeda is. A lame FPS which does not deliver as one (not even close to Titanfall or Destiny), and it isn't a RPG either (such as The Witcher 3). it is a waste of money, time and a total disappointment delivered by one of the most (or a tie with Ubisoft) profit centered companies out there, which fell from being the most beloved RPG company in the world to a third class FPS developer. (along with Square-Enix - another flopping company with its God of War-Like Final fantasy 15)    … Expand
  8. jcanfis
    Mar 21, 2017
    4
    I will try to review this Game on how well the different parts work together.
    This game had a lot of good opportunities and the foundation for a good start. Unfortunately the overwhelming amount of small annoying bugs, rushed developments and bad choices breaks the flow of the game on the players immersion in a terrible way.
    Negative: - UI is suffering from a lot of bad decisions    I will try to review this Game on how well the different parts work together.
    This game had a lot of good opportunities and the foundation for a good start. Unfortunately the overwhelming amount of small annoying bugs, rushed developments and bad choices breaks the flow of the game on the players immersion in a terrible way.

    Negative:
    - UI is suffering from a lot of bad decisions (Profile Swap is not swapping weapons, inconsistent button settings, overcomplicated menus like quest tracking)
    - missing save options can get players pretty angry
    - stuck several times so badly that i had to return to orbit.
    - you know about the animations :/
    - planets feel huge and empty
    - dialogues are a pain
    - story copycat from ME3. Once again assimilation :/
    - scan simulator 2.0
    - decisions have no impact
    - you can read or hear about important news but often you are not seeing them/taking part in them on the nexus
    - Quest design

    Positive
    - Great object animations in space
    - Nice quest start with the environment. Explosions on Nexus starts quest. Firework on the sky
    - Combat feels fast paced and clean
    - The Tempest is looking awesome !!!
    - Loading times
    - I like the profile switching (without the weapon part mentioned above

    Resume: Overall i think a more linear approach would have been a better decision. The quality of the different development parts differs greatly. Many of the problems and bugs can not be patched (Quest placement, Dialogues). Sorry but this game is good in concept but the lack of practise in this development team shows.
    Q&A not existing.

    On my Rating:
    Andromeda got a 4 from me although it might have been a 6. My main reason for only giving a 4 is because of a very personal emotional dislike of a story/dialogue option.
    The conversation with my twin in coma did disturb me so much that i walked away from my console and did not want to play for some time.    … Expand
  9. Toophat82
    Apr 5, 2017
    4
    Bottomline it's not mass effect we love or wanted instead it's DAI but in space. So think about it they simply recycled and reused the same formula from last RPG they worked on and developed before Andromeda which was Dragon Age inquisition. The Story, characters, dialogue, ui, and etc all sub par to bad. Only improvements was the huge worlds and combat itself which unfortunately isBottomline it's not mass effect we love or wanted instead it's DAI but in space. So think about it they simply recycled and reused the same formula from last RPG they worked on and developed before Andromeda which was Dragon Age inquisition. The Story, characters, dialogue, ui, and etc all sub par to bad. Only improvements was the huge worlds and combat itself which unfortunately is hindered by the bad UI that is limited and tailored for multiplayer period as only allows three abilities are allowed during combat no matter campaign or multiplayer mode. Alot is missing from originals too like races, weapons, having meaningful choices and consequences, squadmate loadouts, and renegade/paragon system and there isn't enough new to make up for it either. They even ruined special anmo along with biotic and armor piercing not even in game too. Game is also very buggy and lacks polish along with alot of what made mass effect and bioware rpgs special in first place.

    In Mass effect Andromeda Good luck finding white males and males period in any powerful or meaningful role in game you quickly find that all mission givers and characters that are in power and meaningful in game are overwhelming female with the lesser being minorities or aliens if male at all. While White males are nowhere to be found in game except as cannon fodder or for mockery. This game not only is too extremely politically correct but ractist against white males and white people in general to the point that its too obvious and sickening to loyal fans who love the franchise and have been loyal since it started.

    There is diversity done right like mass effect 1 through 3 and then there is ME andromeda not the way you want to do diversity in games as people play games to get away from their personal lives and have fun. The designer of game clearly wanted to get political and personal on a level that is bad for business given fact that majority of gamers will be of male gender to begin with and most likely a good amount white too when it comes to the RPG genre too not smart at all for a business.    … Expand
  10. sadamo1
    Apr 6, 2017
    4
    This is not a fully baked game. The game play isn't snappy at all. "Cumbersome: is a better word to describe it. Controller inputs are "drifty" so when you point Ryder in a particular direction there seems to be too much momentum. Also, the graphics are almost laughable for an XBox One game. The characters graphics in the first three were much better which is an enormous stepThis is not a fully baked game. The game play isn't snappy at all. "Cumbersome: is a better word to describe it. Controller inputs are "drifty" so when you point Ryder in a particular direction there seems to be too much momentum. Also, the graphics are almost laughable for an XBox One game. The characters graphics in the first three were much better which is an enormous step backwards. You would almost have to try to mess them up given the advanced power of a third generation console. All in all I'm disappointed so far. I have heard that the "updates" will improve the game but this is a perfect example of a developer bringing a product to market well before it is ready. Even worse, it is not like there was a huge lead time issue here. It had already been several years since ME3. Why not hold the release until you are ready? Really disappointed so far, especially considering this is one of my all time favorite franchises.… Expand
  11. Young_Nacho
    Dec 11, 2017
    4
    This is just a mess all around. The writing is painfully uneven, with good moments being overshadowed by cringeworthy dialogue. The story is bland, and the characters are the most uninteresting group of **** ever. The gameplay is passable but not good, and the animations are as bad as everyone says. This is not the game fans deserved.
  12. Merostin
    Mar 21, 2017
    4
    This deserves no Mass Affection.

    I keep it short:

    ME1, ME2, ME3 are about story, characters, species and relations between the latter two.

    ME Andromeda tries to be the same, but it also includes new gameplay layers due to its focus on an outdated openworld concept. The result: It fails at both ME's core elements (see above) and at being a great openworld game.

    Sad, but true.
  13. LucasGreen
    Mar 30, 2017
    4
    So to begin this game is a great game if it had come out during the Xbox 360 days. Yes to everyone the game play is tedious with no way to tell where you are going. The story is decent but could use refinement. and finally the cut scenes are terrifying with graphical glitches. This is Mass effect by the big dogs at Bioware I expect a better game from them not what honestly feels like a AASo to begin this game is a great game if it had come out during the Xbox 360 days. Yes to everyone the game play is tedious with no way to tell where you are going. The story is decent but could use refinement. and finally the cut scenes are terrifying with graphical glitches. This is Mass effect by the big dogs at Bioware I expect a better game from them not what honestly feels like a AA title put out in the dry summer lull where bad games go to die.… Expand
  14. MrWax
    Apr 6, 2017
    4
    I gave it a four. It really is a 5 or maybe 6 game, but I deducted 1 because of the hurt I felt with the disappintment. This is what happens when executives take Excelsheet-decisions, as in opposed to letting the creative and real gamedevelopers decide what is best for the game.

    So much potential in the predecessors, in the the universe they've built, and in the obvious huge budgets a    I gave it a four. It really is a 5 or maybe 6 game, but I deducted 1 because of the hurt I felt with the disappintment. This is what happens when executives take Excelsheet-decisions, as in opposed to letting the creative and real gamedevelopers decide what is best for the game.

    So much potential in the predecessors, in the the universe they've built, and in the obvious huge budgets a game like this carries. Still, 50-60 hours in the game and I am slowly realising that it is not going to get any better.

    Bugs I forget. Graphics is only so-so important to me. This game just lacks playabilty, and the story is a boring one so it doesn't make it better. In all, it just feels like no love has been put in this game. Not the love a creator has for his work, so this game probably lacks just that ... Someone with a vision. This, I think, is to much influenced and shaped by a board or people who don't game themselves.

    Dammit.    … Expand
  15. ZMannZilla
    Apr 9, 2017
    4
    Mass Effect Andromeda has a lot of hurdles to overcome, the biggest being "the new chapter of an epic IP famous for a deep rich storytelling experience". I went into ME:A trying to be fair and remembering that this was supposed to be a whole new story set in the Mass Effect universe. This means I was able to find wholly unique reasons to dislike it on its own merits.

    While the game    Mass Effect Andromeda has a lot of hurdles to overcome, the biggest being "the new chapter of an epic IP famous for a deep rich storytelling experience". I went into ME:A trying to be fair and remembering that this was supposed to be a whole new story set in the Mass Effect universe. This means I was able to find wholly unique reasons to dislike it on its own merits.

    While the game wasn't entirely terrible, here are the other hurdles I had to get over to find the little nuggets of fun:

    - BLATANT palette-swapping: You can look at so much and tell which Mass Effect things they were either smooshing together or baltantly lifting. Peebee = Liara/Jack, Jaal = Javik/Garrus, Remnant = Geth/Proteans, and so on. There's also a lot of things that make the game feel like Dragon Age Inquisition wearing a Mass Effect skinsuit - Architect (read: dragon) battles, the crafting system, and the strike teams thing come right to mind.

    - So... Much... Busy work: There are way, WAY too many missions in this game that boil down to "go to 3 places and do a thing", and/or include "go to 3 or more planets to do things", because spending 30% of your total mission time sitting through transitional animations and load screens counts as play time, I guess?

    - The scanner is just obnoxious: What seems like it should be a cool feature ends up becoming the bane of your existence, as you'll waste so much time (which again, apparently counts as play time) trying to find the tiny thing that's making your controller vibrate.

    - The entire "twin sibling" thing: Without spoiling anything, I felt like they did nothing good or fun with this otherwise intriguing concept

    - Lame payoffs: Again, no spoilers, but SO MANY stories and missions in this game end with lame payoffs, and the cheesy unsatisfying conclusion of the final battle, followed by a sudden cut to credits, should take the crown away from the end of ME3 as the worst official ending in the series.

    - Obvious sequel setups: Not to nitpick, but ME1 didn't actually leave any gaping cliffhangers in its subplots. By contrast, ME:A leaves you hanging SO HARD on multiple fronts.

    - Planet Kadara. Just... ALL of it. Movement in Kadara is unnecessarily clunky, between the "switch from city to surface" thing and the doors that open way slower than literally every other door in the galaxy. But hey, it adds play time! This game deserves Hell just for turning its version of Omega into the most annoying place to spend any time. Honorable mention: Planet Havarl can also go sit in the corner and think about what it did.

    - And yeah, blah blah bugs, blah blah bad faces, blah blah et cetera, honestly this stuff didn't bother me nearly as much because I already knew about them and frankly, that's just AAA gaming these days.

    OK, so I got through all that... what was good about it? What kept me playing to the end? Here it is:

    - The angarans are actually kind of cool: I really like the new race they introduced. The angarans have a unique culture and philosophy that make every encounter with them engaging, as well as a history so in tune with the colonial/expansionist undertones of the plot that their inclusion adds so much towards making the struggle feel real and important.

    - Decent combat: I really enjoy having the freedom to build my Ryder in whatever direction feels good (even if I basically just made another by-the-book Vanguard by the end of it all). The combat isn't without its problems but at least this way you can really develop your own unique personal Ryder. I never actually used the profiles system but I'm sure it was pretty cool.

    - Romance options out the wazoo: There's multiple choices for everyone here. Multiple gay options, multiple straight options, even options if you just want to be a horny Captain Kirk type and get randy with anything that has a heartbeat. They even added a krogan romance option. Sort of. Yeah, I went for it. Then reloaded my save.

    - Dat sarcastic dialogue tho: It's not exactly genius-level dialogue, in fact in places it's clunky and horribly read. But trust me, if you choose the "casual" response whenever possible, you're gonna have a good time. In a lot of ways, it feels like the writing team from the Citadel DLC had full creative control over Sarcastic Ryder.

    All in all, I highly recommend that casual fans of the series wait for this one to hit bargain bins. Hardcore fans should... lol, we already bought it, and we're gonna buy the next one too. We're in an abusive relationship with BioWarEA. They steal our money and insult us constantly, but at least the sex is fun.    … Expand
  16. CTDave
    Apr 10, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ******MILD SPOILERS******

    I was a huge fan of the original trilogy, though I was critical of the final 20 minutes of the ME3 to the point where I stopped playing the games entirely until the ending got patched up.

    I went into playing this game with some expectations, as BioWare had done an awesome job on Dragon Age: Inquisition and had seemingly redeemed themselves in my eyes, and thus, I relinquished $90 for the deluxe edition of Andromeda. I sincerely wish I hadn't. I should have waited until Black Friday to scoop the game up on sale.

    The game is unoriginal and liberally borrows/steals from the original trilogy. Essentially, this is Mass Effect, just with: slightly upgunned graphics; a slightly new galaxy (where it seems physics really took a holiday); gender swapped, carbon copies of old squad mates; even the new enemies, the Kett, are essentialy dumbed down Reapers.

    It was a tough to slog through the first 8 hours, where I'd give the game a 3/10, but then the game opens up and BAM! 7/10. The next 30 hours were a delight to sit through...

    But then, 80 hours and far too many fetch quests later, the game has left too many threads open for the sequel rather than wrapping things up. After 80 hours, you begin to really see that the graphics were not where they should be with the current power of consoles, with too much texture pop-in, frame rate drop, and weird animation glitches. The game beat me down via poor design.

    They had 5 years and $40 million to get this done. They relied far too heavily on name recognition to get them through, and have lost me as a day 1 buyer. I will wait until their new titles go on sale before laying down my hard earned cash on them again.

    My final score is 4/10. Sad given that I really wanted to like this game.    … Expand
  17. MattKingsbury
    Jun 20, 2020
    4
    "Disappointing" is the only way I can describe Andromeda. Being such a big fan of the original trilogy, I was highly excited to play the latest addition...and it's a massive step backwards. The biggest flaw is its plot and characters: the plot is not original and the "twist" can be seen from miles away. The characters range from tolerable to utterly unbearable. The writing is poor and the"Disappointing" is the only way I can describe Andromeda. Being such a big fan of the original trilogy, I was highly excited to play the latest addition...and it's a massive step backwards. The biggest flaw is its plot and characters: the plot is not original and the "twist" can be seen from miles away. The characters range from tolerable to utterly unbearable. The writing is poor and the dialogue is cringeworthy at times. Facial animations when I played made it impossible to empathise with the characters. The score is solely based on the graphics, combat and some of the music from the score, which when combined together provide for a small glimmer of light in this black void of a game. Back to the drawing board for BioWare.… Expand
  18. rodericrinehart
    Jun 24, 2017
    3
    Loved the first 3, would put the trilogy in my top 10 series ever. Mass Effect Andromeda is BORING and POORLY DESIGNED above all else. Poor animations, empty areas, pointless fetch quests, and just no respect for the time of the player. Finished it despite really not liking it. Probably done with the series now. Lost a loyal fan and customer Bioware/EA.
  19. 80sChild
    Mar 2, 2019
    3
    Updating to a 3, because in retrospect, its better than Anthem. Having recently played through it again... its still awful.

    This is not Mass Effect. This is Dragon Age Inquisition in space. Bugs galore, even after the patch, constantly pulling you out of the (boring) story. Graphical bugs, animation bugs, save bugs, rendering bugs, everywhere and all the time. Texture fade-in from    Updating to a 3, because in retrospect, its better than Anthem. Having recently played through it again... its still awful.

    This is not Mass Effect. This is Dragon Age Inquisition in space. Bugs galore, even after the patch, constantly pulling you out of the (boring) story. Graphical bugs, animation bugs, save bugs, rendering bugs, everywhere and all the time.

    Texture fade-in from Unreal Engine 2/3 still present on Frostbite for some reason and faces/textures often look muddy. Ugly female characters (not as bad as DA:I), everybody is gay or bi because the SJW mentality is strong at Bioware, apparently. Nobody disagrees, holds different opinions, challenges different opinions, yells or does anything that might develop a personality (good or bad). The characters and universe are flat and boring. Paragon and Renegade options are gone and so is any semblance of control over your characters personality.

    Tons of filler that may or may not be considered "content" by players. The closest Andromeda ever gets to being a Mass Effect game is during loyalty missions, apart from that its exactly like Dragon Age Inquisition.

    Combat is decent, feels similar to ME1 but with added mobility. It's not perfect or amazing but it gets the job done. Clunky UI and crafting systems, multiple currencies in both campaign and multiplayer. Micro transactions. Tons of planets but only a handful of them are explorable.

    I don't know what happened at Bioware but this is not Mass Effect. It's not what the fans deserved, its not the leap forward the series deserved, it's most certainly not a finished product and its not worthy of the Mass Effect name. Rest in peace Mass Effect.    … Expand
  20. Mistwire
    Apr 5, 2017
    3
    This is 2017. The bugs, glitches, crappy gameplay mechanics, poor voice acting, and shoddy mo-cap would be acceptable if this wasn't 2017... and there weren't THREE OTHER GAMES in the series for Bioware to learn from.... but it IS 2017 and there is no excuse for us to have waited 5 years for THIS piece of crap.
    Example of horrible game-play: in one mission I had to "read an email from    This is 2017. The bugs, glitches, crappy gameplay mechanics, poor voice acting, and shoddy mo-cap would be acceptable if this wasn't 2017... and there weren't THREE OTHER GAMES in the series for Bioware to learn from.... but it IS 2017 and there is no excuse for us to have waited 5 years for THIS piece of crap.
    Example of horrible game-play: in one mission I had to "read an email from Reyes". In order to do so I had to (a) go back into space from the planet Kandara, (b) read the email, (c) get on a video call with Reyes to say "Yes, I want to go to a party ON KANDARA", (c) LAND BACK ON KANDARA, (d) navigate to the party!!! It took me ~20 minutes of real time gameplay to answer an email and go to a party ON THE PLANET I WAS ORIGINALLY ON. This level of stupidity is rife throughout the game. The game is a giant, pointless fetch quest.

    There are only 2 plot lines that actually engaged me.

    The UI is awful. What was wrong with the old wheel? Now we only have 3 power options to choose from unless we want to switch our "profile". God forbid you want to try out new powers without setting up a special profile for it.

    There's no point to the armor/weapons leveling systems. I used the same original gear for most of the campaign.

    Even if this game didn't have the shoulders of ME1-ME3 to stand on... I'd still say it was a crap game.    … Expand
  21. Broyax
    Mar 26, 2017
    3
    Je suivais depuis quelques mois les infos de ce Mass Effect nouveau comme tout bon fanatique de la trilogie qui se respecte... et j'espérais surtout ne pas avoir à faire à un... Mass Effect Inquisition !

    Or, le début du jeu a été rassurant à cet égard : à la joie de la découverte s'est mêlé un entousiasme évident. La mise en place est excellente, la Citadelle -le Nexus pardon- est    Je suivais depuis quelques mois les infos de ce Mass Effect nouveau comme tout bon fanatique de la trilogie qui se respecte... et j'espérais surtout ne pas avoir à faire à un... Mass Effect Inquisition !

    Or, le début du jeu a été rassurant à cet égard : à la joie de la découverte s'est mêlé un entousiasme évident. La mise en place est excellente, la Citadelle -le Nexus pardon- est superbe et tandis que les tenants et aboutissants de cette nouvelle histoire nous sont progressivement dévoilés, pendant que l'on fait connaissance avec ses nouveaux amis, on se surprend à croire que la magie opère, comme au bon vieux temps...

    ça tient le coup jusqu'à la première planète, les premières escarmouches, la ballade en Mako -pardon, en Nomade. On apprécie les environnements magnifiques et s'il est une chose que Bioware sait toujours faire, c'est bel et bien sa patte artistique inimitable, faite de bon goût et de ravissement pour les yeux.

    Puis, bien sûr, on se rend compte lors des premiers combats que la partie tactique est passée à la trappe ; on le savait mais l'impossibilité de contrôler ses coéquipiers avec la pause active est dure à avaler.

    Si on peut sauter comme un Mariol, c'est parce que ce Mass Effect est devenu presque un jeu de plate-forme... ça fait partie de l'exploration évidemment, une exploration qui a pris trop d'importance, à la manière d'un Dragon Age Inquisition !

    Car à la seconde planète, puis la troisième (et ainsi de suite) on se rend compte que le même principe de DAI a été intégralement repris : de grandes zones à farmer jusqu'à dégueuler partout. On découvre avec horreur que le jeu entier -en dehors de sa quête principale quand même !- est une usine à Fedex et UPS.

    C'est un peu mieux emballé et présenté que dans DAI mais ça reste du gros farmage de livraisons et aucune quête dite "secondaire" n'y fait exception. L'écriture est pauvre et souvent pathétique, ce qui m'amène à l'histoire principale tout aussi pauvre et pathétique...

    J'ai mis le turbo pour terminer la quête principale en apnée (j'en pouvais plus...) et force est de constater que si le jeu procure un minimum de spectacle, il ne surprend que très rarement. Sans rien dévoiler, je vous dirai qu'on passe son temps à appuyer sur des interrupteurs entre deux séances de tir. Ouais, c'est pourrave.

    Idem pour les nouveaux compagnons dont aucun ne se détache réellement, à part la petite Peebee peut-être, la chipie un brin névro-sociopathe. La comparaison avec la trilogie fait très mal à cet égard : on a l'impression d'être entouré de jeunes cons, superficiels et sans épaisseur.

    D'autre part, les décisions et de ce fait les directions que l'on voudrait faire prendre à notre héros -ou héroïne- sont généralement toujours trop molles et enlisées dans le consensus mou du "vivre ensemble", car Ryder est excessivement diplomatique, quelles que soient les réponses choisies : impossible comme naguère de faire un personnage pragmatique et impitoyable -la mission avant tout, bordel ! on baigne dans beaucoup trop de discours moralisateurs écrits par une équipe entière de social justice warriors. C'en est presque niais.

    Par ailleurs, les humains ont tous des sales gueules. Impossible de se faire un beau perso avec l'éditeur -très limité- et même les tronches par défaut des héros ou héroïnes sont juste dégueulasses.
    A croire donc que tout ce qui concerne les persos a été réalisé par une équipe de stagiaires qui a étalé à la fois son incompétence et son mauvais goût partout.

    Mal écrit -on l'a déjà dit- le jeu reste pourtant très bavard, ce qui n'est pas vraiment une qualité, car les dialogues donnent souvent l'impression de sortir d'une sitcom ou au mieux d'une série télé de bas étage. On ne reconnaît pas les dialogues ciselés de la triologie Mass Effect ici et on ignore où ils sont passés...

    Voilà ce Mass effect Andromeda : un mod de Dragon Age Inquisition, une skin de Dragon Age Inquisition, un calque de Dragon Age Inquisition appliqué à l'arrache sur Mass Effect en arrondissant à peine les angles. Quelle déception ! quelle trahison de la part de Bioware !    … Expand
  22. HunterCZE
    May 2, 2017
    3
    One big disappointment. Everything I have loved with the original trilogy has been just thrown to the garbage. I had big expectations from this title but it turned out to be a massive let down.

    - very poor main story line - terrible animations - absolutely disgusting characters (ME 1 characters were created far way better and that!s a decade ago) - zero impact with the choices made    One big disappointment. Everything I have loved with the original trilogy has been just thrown to the garbage. I had big expectations from this title but it turned out to be a massive let down.

    - very poor main story line
    - terrible animations
    - absolutely disgusting characters (ME 1 characters were created far way better and that!s a decade ago)
    - zero impact with the choices made during the gameplay
    - very limited conversation options
    - voice acting is hilarious and very bad
    - totally boring multiplayer (it's just a waste of time)

    + worlds look so amazing
    + buildings and ships are beautifully made
    + planet exploring is very interesting
    + loyalty missions and side quests are enjoyable

    In the state the game is (even with the latest patch) it's just a poorly made game. Not worthy of the money and the time. Every single ME game made you to want to play it again in a different way. Here unfortunately you don't get this kind of feeling at all.

    ME Andromeda had such a potential was completely squandered. Makes me wonder how the official reviewers can give this such a high score ... it appears they played a completely different game than the normal players got.    … Expand
  23. Nerevarinho
    Jan 3, 2021
    3
    Missing italian voice acting! Intro that makes blah blah before forcing you to read a text in a limited time.. why not doing also here blah blah? Very good first impression.. Weird animations. Uninstall.
  24. sendrr1
    Nov 2, 2019
    3
    It is sooo boring and illogical game :)

    Graphics (world, trees, rocks) - just amazing
    Story
    - 10% ok
    - 40% was written by 2 yo kid
    - 50% blah-blah-blah (pointless)
    Multiplayer - some joke

    And every time I see asari while playing my disappointment level raises up
    (they are ALL identical, copy->paste)
  25. lastghost68
    Mar 21, 2017
    2
    What has happened to Biowate? They are getting worse with each new game! I used to love the Mass Effect Series, but this is just a big Mess! From ugly characters that look like they are made of plastic to laughable animations, bad writing, voice acting sounds like teenagers voiced it! Just terrible.
  26. SirBruce
    Aug 27, 2019
    2
    As a big fan of original Mass Effect and Kotor, but more of the former, I love the sagas. But Andromeda is so irregular and exposes so less inspiration that I couldn't enjoy it. Only some moments and places have the quality level I expected. MEA is like many empty and boring ideas fixed with a not very good quality glue. I prayed for the game to finish, but it didn't after many hours thatAs a big fan of original Mass Effect and Kotor, but more of the former, I love the sagas. But Andromeda is so irregular and exposes so less inspiration that I couldn't enjoy it. Only some moments and places have the quality level I expected. MEA is like many empty and boring ideas fixed with a not very good quality glue. I prayed for the game to finish, but it didn't after many hours that I fell lost time. If only I could go back in time to play the moments I liked... But now, I don't have any hope for the sagas. It should have a so big investment in talent for stories, art and technology that I don't think EA or Bioware are up to the task.
    About the game, it starts with an idea of reborn. Like if the third one was a finish for everything. But, after playing some time, you realise that many things have travelled from Milky Way to Andromeda... Not the good ones, for the most part.
    Planets design goes from impressive to unispired in a mad way. Game mechanics are old or bad copied from other games. Online options... well... I didn't ask for them in that way. So I finished using the companion app to get missions done and get some resources... yes, my fault. Because it makes the game more and more easy as time goes.
    With nothing to remember about the script or characters, I feel that I played a repetition of something I lived before. But without the fresh air of other games.
    I don't recommend this game if you enjoyed the trilogy... But, if you find it on EA Access or Origin and you want to test it, be free to do it. Maybe you like it and you go back for the first, second and maybe third Mass Effect games. Old games, with many old mechanics, but great stories to be told by impressive characters.    … Expand
  27. Ghost_GBG
    Mar 31, 2017
    2
    Constant crashes on Xbox, poor story line (compared to previous mass effects), repetitive gameplay. Not worth buying. It is such a let down as I am (was) a massive Mass Effect fan.
  28. exleper
    Apr 1, 2017
    2
    What a huge let down. I do like the story but the game is just bad. Would be a better TV series. Quest system is junk, game is buggy, AI away team mates are frustrating, and it's just not fun.
  29. tdebug
    Mar 15, 2021
    1
    First of all, this is not a Mass Effect game by any means - not by story, not by gameplay.
    It has a very weird look and feel, like low quality free-to-play MMO from 10-15 years back or so. Planets with "open world" are just mostly blank with annoying navigation and unclear nav points. Many content seems was just added to have a checkbox "added" and not because it contributes to anything.    First of all, this is not a Mass Effect game by any means - not by story, not by gameplay.
    It has a very weird look and feel, like low quality free-to-play MMO from 10-15 years back or so. Planets with "open world" are just mostly blank with annoying navigation and unclear nav points. Many content seems was just added to have a checkbox "added" and not because it contributes to anything. Sidequests like "find 10 missing drones" to get some exp points, complex system of mining, research and development that looks just redundant in many ways and many other things which make the game blank and unengaging. Even combat is meant to be played on a PC with keyboard and mouse and not suitable for controllers.    … Expand
  30. smokestorm9121
    Apr 4, 2017
    1
    Oh my god.... do you know how much I wanted this game to succeed?... Man I was so ready to pop this in and be transported back to the world of rich story, awesome character development, and fun battles. Unfortunately this game screws up on so many things that made mass effect good. I feel like i'm going through the 7 stages grief man! No **** joke! I think I made it past denial andOh my god.... do you know how much I wanted this game to succeed?... Man I was so ready to pop this in and be transported back to the world of rich story, awesome character development, and fun battles. Unfortunately this game screws up on so many things that made mass effect good. I feel like i'm going through the 7 stages grief man! No **** joke! I think I made it past denial and somewhere between sadness and anger, probably entering anger right about now... anyways to break it down because a lot of people have already made it clear here it is... Bland dialogue, **** ass facial AND BODY (no one ever mentions that) animations, OK graphics. The sound is... oh my god the sound... the thing that actually did it for me was the stock audio you would get at like free stock audio . com or something. And to those who are saying the sjw **** Have you seen Suvi Anwar if you haven't stfu that would be sjw target number 1... anyways games **** And suvi is f***ing hot. Case Closed.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best Xbox One Game of 2017
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017
4
#4 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. games(TM)
    Jun 14, 2017
    50
    A new low for the Mass Effect series. [Issue#186, p.71]
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Apr 20, 2017
    82
    Overall, despite its shortcomings Mass Effect: Andromeda was an enjoyable experience for me. The first few hours feel like a grind, but you will be rewarded for sticking with it. The game is dragged down a bit by all of the reading that must be done and some overly long conversations, but this is rather typical for the genre. The game really shines when you're exploring an alien world and battling the local fauna, and when you get down to it that's what you really want out of a space-based RPG.
    Read full review
  3. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Apr 15, 2017
    80
    It can't match up to its predecessors, but Andromeda is a thrilling adventure nonetheless. [May 2017, p.73]
See all critic reviews »