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. RokasX
    Apr 18, 2017
    9
    The begining was a bit boring I must admit and they put plenty of annoying run around through many loading screens which caused me to have to take breaks to not fall asleep. Once you get into it however you I found the story to be more then enough to keep me playing. I enjoyed raising viability and playing through the relationship quests to get the many side stories. I am a fan of the newThe begining was a bit boring I must admit and they put plenty of annoying run around through many loading screens which caused me to have to take breaks to not fall asleep. Once you get into it however you I found the story to be more then enough to keep me playing. I enjoyed raising viability and playing through the relationship quests to get the many side stories. I am a fan of the new combat, after playing through the other mass effect games it felt a little weird but loved that i could choose to snipe while my crew held of the enemy without worrying about ammo or having to be stuck confined areas that let enemys rush you. Took me 56 hours to beat the game (main story, viablity and all relationship quests). I probably won't be restarting as there is no important game changing decisions to make but i do prefer it that. I probably will keep playing on and off to finish side quests and enjoy the combat more.

    Final note, the boring scan each planet to get 100% is still annoying and even with the ability to skip the flying I wish there was a better way.    … Expand
  2. Calamore
    Mar 23, 2017
    1
    This game hurts so much... and not because of hard decisions and great story like a mass effect game should. This games hurts because all mass effect fans can see what it could have been but then are delivered this car crash game.
  3. ironwolf56
    Mar 23, 2017
    8
    About 35 hours of play into the game I'm having fun, is it perfect? Not by a long shot, but it definitely doesn't deserve the internet backlash its receiving.

    First let's start with the bad. It's been beaten to death, but yes the animations are not up to snuff in a modern title, let alone a AAA release from a big name studio. Menus and UI are clunky, BioWare has never seemed to learn    About 35 hours of play into the game I'm having fun, is it perfect? Not by a long shot, but it definitely doesn't deserve the internet backlash its receiving.

    First let's start with the bad. It's been beaten to death, but yes the animations are not up to snuff in a modern title, let alone a AAA release from a big name studio. Menus and UI are clunky, BioWare has never seemed to learn their lesson regarding this design element. I've run into a few bugs, nothing big so far (fingers crossed)

    Other than that, I'm having a lot of fun. I think some of the criticisms are unwarranted. I think there's still a lot of anger about how ME3 ended, and that's understandable, but not really worth taking out on a spin-off game about. A lot of people are upset because the new protagonist isn't Shepard. Well yes, that's kind of the point; it's not like they hid this fact, and I'm enjoying playing as the Ryders. There's no paragon or renegade but that had been simplified into "saint or puppy-kicker" long ago. The new tone system in dialogue reminds me of Alpha Protocol, and there are still Renegade-style interrupts for those that want to do that kind of thing.

    It's probably not for everyone, what game is? It's no Witcher 3, that's for sure, but I'm having fun and I tend to be pretty picky and ADD about games so I think that's saying something. Masterpiece? No, but it definitely deserves higher than the Low 4s user rating it's holding right now.    … Expand
  4. Aire1
    Mar 23, 2017
    10
    To start, you need to clarify, I'm a wild fan of the entire Mass Effect trilogy in general, so this game I
    I waited an average of 4 years. I think you understand how picky I am. (In this year in more than more than 25 hours)
    Dialogues: The main changes occurred precisely because of the rejection of the hero / apostate system, and in general the whole system became much more linear. It    To start, you need to clarify, I'm a wild fan of the entire Mass Effect trilogy in general, so this game I
    I waited an average of 4 years. I think you understand how picky I am. (In this year in more than more than 25 hours)

    Dialogues:
    The main changes occurred precisely because of the rejection of the hero / apostate system, and in general the whole system became much more linear. It seems that your opinion does not depend on anything at all (except for the relationship). But, I note, the dialogues themselves are interesting (very often funny jokes).

    Gameplay:
    He changed, and for the better. The shooting system is now more enjoyable, and the skill system is generally redesigned as a root. For example, before you could choose only one class, and develop one skill (and use the nine smart skills from them), now you can use it several times, but in combat only three of them. It is also very encouraging to switch between profiles, which previously could only be selected at the beginning of the game and forever. For him, definitely a plus.

    Character Editor:
    I will speak briefly, it is terrible. Customization is minimal.

    Characters:
    Many spoke about the characters, they say, they are not charismatic at all. I with it in the root do not agree, each character has the style of dialogue, the set of "jokes", the CHARACTER. If you go to rapprochement with any character, then he will begin to behave a little differently (in relation to you, of course).

    Soundtrack:
    He's not here :)

    Plot:
    I can not objectively judge the plot, for the whole game I still did not pass. I can say so, the plot is interesting (as the plot develops, it becomes less interesting)

    Locations:
    Definitely the strength of this game. Locations are huge, and filled with all sorts of outposts Ket (and in combination, every loot). Also, it's nice that you can visit one of the worlds at one desire (which was not in any part of the ME). Open world, in general.

    Graphic arts:
    Frostbite is beautiful, like the landscapes in the MEA. Definitely a strong aspect of this game.

    Optimization:
    There are subsidence frames, but they will be patched. Overall a good optimization, nothing more to say.

    To sum up:
    The game is extremely interesting, contrary to my expectations after reading reviews of users and critics in general. Persians are interesting, the gameplay has improved, the plot is interesting. Mass effect. But, unfortunately, this is no longer the good old. But do not be retrograde, let's be reasonable people.
    By the way, I absolutely do not understand people who with foam at the mouth shouted "Eta inquisition in kosmase! 11 !!" ... But what the hell is the Inquisition? In the Inquisition after 2 hours of play, you begin to fall asleep from the **** "get me fifteen kilograms of **** for my farm," or "bring me a desert with a mountain of that mountains, a mountain the size of nine thousand quadrillion Everest." In Andromeda, there are no such assignments at all, the only boring missions in the game are the guessing of the Sudoku riddle, from which I already have a nervous tic;) So repeat, the game has nothing to do with the Inquisition both in terms of the gameplay and in terms of missions . Now many have not been able to win in the comments about the "animated parties", so ... I can not see the meaning of animations. They are **** In short, my overall score on a ten-point scale is 7.5 points.
    On this all, please, scream that I'm bad and "you do not understand anything, you're not a fan of the mass mechanism !!!". Till.    … Expand
  5. sirbow
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    This game is one of the best this year. Giving 0 to MA: Andromeda is being dishonest. Sure it have some flaws, but I only care about the story, space explorations and characters interaction and I got served with this new addition of the series. I can't say if its better or worst than the other games of the series because its a totally different experience and that's what I hoped for, notThis game is one of the best this year. Giving 0 to MA: Andromeda is being dishonest. Sure it have some flaws, but I only care about the story, space explorations and characters interaction and I got served with this new addition of the series. I can't say if its better or worst than the other games of the series because its a totally different experience and that's what I hoped for, not another clone only for fans to be happy. Some minor bugs here and there but nothing compared to others titles, its almost perfect. Its true that its slow to start and to understand what's really going on, but be patient and you'll be rewarded.… Expand
  6. BlueApricity
    Apr 6, 2017
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Spoiler: An elitist alien race begins kidnapping innocent colonists to genetically modify them and turn them into an army. You need the technology of a mysterious, ancient alien race to help save the galaxy. Sound familiar? That's because it's the story from the previous games, and it's also the story of this game. I wanted to love this game, but how can you give love to something that clearly had no love put into it? To copy another writer's work seems lowly and sad; to sell it to people who loved that writer's work and thought that they were getting a fresh new take on the Mass Effect Universe? I have no words. Moving on. The voice acting doesn't even make sense. I don't want to say that the voice actors are bad (although some of them are), I just have no idea why they picked certain voice actors for certain characters. For example, in previous games, all krogan had variations of a rough, warrior type voice. In this Mass Effect, most of them sound like hipsters in fish tanks. Luckily your main krogan companion still sounds like a krogan, otherwise, you would literally be taking the same two companions with you everywhere you go. Vetra, Drack and Jaal were the only worthwhile companions, but if you're looking for a Mordin Solus or Garrus, there are no characters like that in this game. I had companions that I despised in the other Mass Effects, Jack for instance, but they were still good characters that added to the story. Liam? I'm sorry but his room is disgusting and he literally commits treason and gives away Nexus secrets. One of my dialogue options after that was essentially "it's all cool man, that was a lot of fun." No. In real life, when you commit treason, no one tells you "good job, your heart was in the right place." There should have been an option to kick him off your team, because that's what any sane person would have done. Cora? She throws a tantrum every time you go in her room about how she didn't get to be the pathfinder and you did. Peebee is unbearably annoying, like a child. Who picked these people to go on an elite mission in another galaxy? So the dialogue between you and pretty much everyone is just awkward and forced (the cursing is particularly bad, not natural at all). My romance options as a straight female were a guy who can't pick his trash up off my floor and sleeps on a couch that probably has fleas, an overly emotional cat-snake-man thing, or a shady detective that I have to land on a planet and then take a shuttle to see. Character creation was horrible. My character had fat face no matter what I did. They also didn't let you make your character pale, which is not a huge deal, except I don't understand why they would regress in character creation from previous games. The characters all look confused and surprised all the time. Every other quest is glitched. The menus are unnecessarily confusing. The armor and weapons you can craft aren't much better than what you find. The bosses all have the same mechanic (an orb floats around them to give them a shield, shoot the orb). The only explanation I can think of for so many things to have gone wrong in this game is poor management. The combat and sound effects are the only positive things in this game. My father was an alcoholic and when we took away all his alcohol, he'd drink mouthwash to get that little fix. Mass Effect Andromeda is mouthwash.… Expand
  7. ClTlZENFOUR
    Mar 22, 2017
    10
    The 0/10 ratings are unfounded.... This game is not perfect, but it is still loads of fun.
    The tech issues are minor, the animations aren't perfect but aren't as bad as people make them out to be.
    If you're a fan of a good space RPG, do yourself a favor and ignore the hate. People hopping on the hate bandwagon is getting old. I have never been a fan of the ME series.. Mainly because I    The 0/10 ratings are unfounded.... This game is not perfect, but it is still loads of fun.
    The tech issues are minor, the animations aren't perfect but aren't as bad as people make them out to be.
    If you're a fan of a good space RPG, do yourself a favor and ignore the hate. People hopping on the hate bandwagon is getting old.
    I have never been a fan of the ME series.. Mainly because I felt the combat/controls were broken and boring. Admittedly I've never finished them. Maybe that's why I am enjoying this game. The controls have been GREATLY improved in this game, which actually made it playable for me.
    Many people seem to be saying that this game doesn't hold a light to the others as far as story. That could be true, but from someone who had zero expectations going in as far as story, I can honestly say I love this game. I see no real flaw with the story.
    I started with the 10 hour trial on EA Access, and as soon as I hit that roadblock in the story, I purchased the game so I could continue to play. So I guess what I will say is, If you are new to the series, this may be the perfect time to jump in.
    If you were a fan of the old trilogy, maybe not...
    It still doesn't deserve a zero though.    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. DonMega
    Mar 27, 2017
    0
    If you enjoy the following buy the game:

    1. Ugly ass characters. 2. Terrible UI that will make you feel confused and lost. 3. Garbage character creator that won't let you choose white skin color or edit the face details to exactly how you want your character to look. 4. Dry and boring voice acting that sounds like the actors read from the script without seeing whats on screen. 5.    If you enjoy the following buy the game:

    1. Ugly ass characters.
    2. Terrible UI that will make you feel confused and lost.
    3. Garbage character creator that won't let you choose white skin color or edit the face details to exactly how you want your character to look.
    4. Dry and boring voice acting that sounds like the actors read from the script without seeing whats on screen.
    5. Script written by a hormonal 16 year old.
    6. Repetitive quest from WoW days. Go here, collect these items and return to quest giver x 100
    7. Political views forced down your throat
    8. Same rehashed story as mass effect 1
    9. Bugs, glitches that totally help with immersion
    10. Bioware is trash    … Expand
  10. GainesvilleGuy
    Mar 29, 2017
    0
    Wow, metacritic has now deleted TWO of my reviews for this game. I can't imagine how low the user score for this game would be if they stopped deleting the negative reviews (was an average of 4.2 just two days ago). I guess they insist I don't point out how "progressive" Bioware is these days, so I won't mention it. Just google "Manveer Heir" and decide for yourself if Bioware sharesWow, metacritic has now deleted TWO of my reviews for this game. I can't imagine how low the user score for this game would be if they stopped deleting the negative reviews (was an average of 4.2 just two days ago). I guess they insist I don't point out how "progressive" Bioware is these days, so I won't mention it. Just google "Manveer Heir" and decide for yourself if Bioware shares your values these days.

    As for why this game deserves a ZERO I detailed that in my previous two reviews (that metacritic has deleted), one of which described in detail via 8 points why this game gets the worse game of the year award. I'm not going to waste my time providing the details again, you can blame censorship for the loss of that valuable information.

    But trust me on this, this game is laughably bad. Just watch youtube videos of it and get the laughs for free and don't waste your money seeing for yourself. I'm officially done ever buying another Bioware game again, and I was once their biggest fan. That's how pathetic this game is.    … Expand
  11. Pvtt_Jebus
    Mar 22, 2017
    8
    Im gonna star this review by saying that I only played ME2 and about half of ME3. I had forgotten the story and who had died in my campaign and I got bored and never went back. I still liked the story, but the gameplay just took me out of it.

    Now Andromeda was coming out, I had no expectations for it, I never watched an videos or anything. I planned on not getting the game. My roomie    Im gonna star this review by saying that I only played ME2 and about half of ME3. I had forgotten the story and who had died in my campaign and I got bored and never went back. I still liked the story, but the gameplay just took me out of it.

    Now Andromeda was coming out, I had no expectations for it, I never watched an videos or anything. I planned on not getting the game. My roomie and my sister are both big fans so I knew between the two I would get the chance to play it at some point.

    Since I have EA access as I enjoy a game of SPORTS!! every now and again, I noticed I had a trail for MEA so I downloaded it.

    The game is great, I love how it doesn't feel like a generic cover shooter anymore, I love the open world feel of the planets and the biotics feel fantastic. The game does not go without its issues though. There are a lot of bugs and glitches, there is texture pop every so often and the facial animation looks awful. But the rest of the game is so much fun that I can let it slide. Sure Sara Ryder looks like a gross monster but shes a BAMF gross monster.

    Pros:
    - gorgeous game - while the faces look gross the rest of the game is beautiful.
    - Top VA - the voice acting is really great, and it s got natalie dormer in it!
    - The gun play/powers feel amazing
    - The maps are huge (only had access to two of them)

    Cons
    - Texture pop in
    - glitches/bugs
    - gross ass facial animation

    All in all the game isn't perfect, and its a big departure from what ME is used too. But its a fun game that definitely doesn't deserve zero's. While I can understand not enjoying it due to playing the old ones it is still a fun game.    … Expand
  12. 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
  13. 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..
  14. 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
  15. Jecht_342
    Mar 23, 2017
    6
    This game is interesting, beautiful, and fun, when it works. However, it rarely works. It has crashed on me 12 times in 12 hours, and objects are constantly popping in and out of existence. I'm also getting an error where the map is showing the Hyperion while I'm on Eos. Crew members are talking to party members that I haven't recruited yet. Plus, I'll activate the same line ofThis game is interesting, beautiful, and fun, when it works. However, it rarely works. It has crashed on me 12 times in 12 hours, and objects are constantly popping in and out of existence. I'm also getting an error where the map is showing the Hyperion while I'm on Eos. Crew members are talking to party members that I haven't recruited yet. Plus, I'll activate the same line of dialogue many times when out in the world, and sometimes characters just stop talking out of nowhere. I know that a lot of people aren't having the same errors I am, but this is the buggiest experience in gaming I've had in years.… Expand
  16. Maleficento
    Mar 31, 2017
    0
    If mass effect was a tire, and two was a hover tire, this game would be the equivalent of a wooden cart wheel.

    An step backwards in a franchise that use to be great.
    That's what happens when you let sjws run your studio.
  17. GregLilo1305
    Mar 22, 2017
    8
    I never knew what mass effect was until 3 years ago when a co-worker of mine introduced me to the game. I was instantly hooked, I went out and bought the trilogy immediately. A huge portion of my life went into those games (mass effect 2 being my favorite) I couldn't get enough. I didn't even hate the ending of mass effect 3. I have always been a fan of sci-fi, even the cheesy made for tvI never knew what mass effect was until 3 years ago when a co-worker of mine introduced me to the game. I was instantly hooked, I went out and bought the trilogy immediately. A huge portion of my life went into those games (mass effect 2 being my favorite) I couldn't get enough. I didn't even hate the ending of mass effect 3. I have always been a fan of sci-fi, even the cheesy made for tv sci-fi movies. So when I heard they were making mass effect Andromeda I was instantly excited and ready for more mass effect. I played the EA trial and was hooked, nothing about the game bothered me. I pre-ordered the game and played another few hours before I even read any reviews. I have to be honest... I think people are being way to harsh. I understand that not every game is made for every person, but for a guy who likes everything sci-fi. This game just hits the nail on the head. I know its not the mass effect trilogy because guess what... Its not supposed to be... I know it shares the name, but trying to compare it to the first three games instead of rating it based on it being a game on its own is kind of dumb. the combat is awesome, the story is intriguing, and the leveling system is great. I know the graphics are not as good as some other games ( the original trilogy was nothing to brag about) but they are not so bad they ruin the immersion. I even read some one who said there was nothing to do, I spent 10 hours on one planet and still haven't done everything. The game is a great sci-fi action adventure. If you are into firefly, farscape or any other sci-fi show or movie. You will love this game just give it a chance.… Expand
  18. Dark-Days-Crew
    Mar 23, 2017
    8
    Firstly, it is worth mentioning that to appreciate this game and accept it as Mass Effect, you have to understand that it holds a completely different tone, setting, and background from the trilogy. Having played the trilogy at least five or six times from the first game to the last with all DLC, I can tell you this game is worth a try.
    Previously, you were Sheppard, someone with one of a    Firstly, it is worth mentioning that to appreciate this game and accept it as Mass Effect, you have to understand that it holds a completely different tone, setting, and background from the trilogy. Having played the trilogy at least five or six times from the first game to the last with all DLC, I can tell you this game is worth a try.
    Previously, you were Sheppard, someone with one of a few backgrounds which would all involve some form of terrible situation, military training through the N7 Program, and a galaxy of lives depending on literally only him to save them all from a repeating event that meant mass extinction for advanced species. The tone was dark almost from start to finish, save for a certain hilarious DLC that played off all the things people found funny in that trilogy - "I should go."
    This game puts you in the shoes of someone who only served to defend a single Mass Effect Relay from nothing with next to no military service, certainly no N7 Program either. Due to some unfortunately events, you, your father, and your sister go to Andromeda. Once there, things go a bit south, but it's immediately obvious that all is not lost and the possibility of mass extinction is not there this time. The tone is lighter, often times made clear by sarcasm and jokes. You're playing as an adventurer who is tasked with just that, adventuring and finding places to settle.

    So, down to it. To be completely blunt, the Character Customization is the first and biggest flaw to the game. With all presets not simply being a starting point but rather that being the character you get, plus or minus some head weight and hair color, there is just too much of a limitation for a game that would allow you to be you. You cannot change lip shape, brow type, eye shape, skin tone, nothing. The presets determine that for you. You cn alter a few size sliders, but nothing beyond that. Eye color, hair color, and tattoo color all are well and good, but not quite enough to make up for the lack of everything else. And if you wanted to have any sort of actual beard and not what appears to be paint smudges, you're out of luck. All the facial hair options are plain, 2D tack-ons that are an eyesore. One even looks as though the character shave three lines out, said that was good enough, and kept it like that... Unfortunately the scars are just as awful looking like strokes of paint and road rash. Some scars are repeated in different areas of the face with no change to the angle, just x and y position. This gives the impression there are more options when half are actually the same scars being moved. It's this alone that takes a point from the game overall.

    The other point lost is due to the state of the game at launch. Now, if you are a Bioware fan, you knew this would happen again. It happens with literally every game they drop. From the first Dragon Age and Mass Effect to Inquisition and Andromeda, their games launch with a ton of animation issues and characters that resemble plastic that melts on occasion. Whether or not everything will get patched in time is up to them, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed because some of these issues are simply disappointing. The only reason I can muster to defend them is the fact that their team is composed of almost entirely new members and they are working with the Frostbite engine for the first time in a Bioware game. But that still doesn't make it right.

    The people you meet range from very unique and interesting to bland and easily forgotten. But the same can be said by honest fans of the trilogy before this. Some of the characters you came to love by the end took the whole of the trilogy to really develop fully, while this is only the first game of a possible new series. It's difficult to expect this to do in one game what took the previous games a whole trilogy. Obviously you won't like certain characters, and others are meant to be disliked. But don;t go in expecting to have every single person you meet be fleshed out to the same extent as the trilogy. For what this game has, I'm actually quite pleased with the characters you see more often than not. And one in particular, Jaal, made me feel his pain in one scene early on. Liam actually evolves as a character through your dialog choices, choosing to learn from you rather than argue when choosing dialog that contradicts him. Cora has a lot of pain bottled up because of your newfound position. Drack is a 1400 year old (pre-Andromeda) Krogen, so obviously he is interesting. Vetra is also very interesting due to her protective nature towards her sister, all the while dealing in illegal trade and smuggling. Peebee.. Well, she's a goofy, flirty, and fairly guarded personality that while I enjoy her character, others may find her to be annoying.

    There's plenty here. Detach yourself from the idea that it's the same Mass Effect. As a new Mass Effect, I find there is plenty to love about this game. True fans will see passed the issues here.    … Expand
  19. MrNamed
    Mar 27, 2017
    8
    This is a 6, in truth, but I'm being very generous because I believe the Hate Train is even worse than Fanboyism, in this case.

    I've seen a lot of passionately hateful reviews of this game during the Early Access phase. I don't trust reviews that are necessarily based on so little actual game time, especially when a certain attitude starts trending and spreading like fire across the    This is a 6, in truth, but I'm being very generous because I believe the Hate Train is even worse than Fanboyism, in this case.

    I've seen a lot of passionately hateful reviews of this game during the Early Access phase. I don't trust reviews that are necessarily based on so little actual game time, especially when a certain attitude starts trending and spreading like fire across the internet. The popular view.

    Let me be clear, the complaints are VALID. The animation flaws are obvious and far below the standards of Bioware. This was a quantity over quality issue and that is not justification for the flawed content. It's not game breaking but it does detract from the player's connection to the characters and often interupts the exposition of the narrative.

    The other issue is the character styling. Yes, this does seem to have a rather obvious political undercurrent. The character presets are essentially Everything-But-Caucasian. This is taking "inclusiveness" way, way too far. Gamers - or any media audience - tend not to appreciate being smacked with a sledgehammer of whatever political agenda. Subtle is more effective. Subtle gets a message across without bludgeoning people with it and therefore making them react negatively to it, which is what creates this backlash, which in turn triggers a counter-backlash of predictable and eroneous accusations of misogyny or racism or -phobia.

    Let's be very objective and factual about this. Video games have come from Occidental countries and cultures. That's who the culture "belongs" to. That's who created and maintained this whole industry. When you turn against these people - when you make the majority group into the enemy within their own culture, you OBVIOUSLY get a very serious backlash. It is dismissive, lazy and grossly inaccurate to describe this as misogyny or racism.

    It doesn't matter where you sit on the political spectrum - it's important to recognise that culture is culture - you can't displace and villify the majority group with heavy handed political correctness and not expect them to resist this encroachment on their territory. Again, there is a subtle and tasteful way to promote inclusiveness without making it THE PREVAILING THEME and guiding principle of a project. The end result is always ugly. It's Ghost Busters ugly. It does not work. It does nothing to promote that political agenda - it in fact damages the cause of that political agenda by instigating a strong counter-cultural backlash. So just stop it, please.

    But what else can we expect from a studio in Canada, I suppose?

    Anyway, with that political ugliness aside...

    The technical flaws in Mass Effect Andromeda have been thoroughly reported on. It is sadly true that the quality of the cutscene animations have really detracted from the story telling. It is near impossible to relate to characters like these. Combine this with dreadful dialogue... these characters don't seem to take their situations seriously, so why should we? I found myself skipping through so much of the dialogue because it consistently disappointed me, often making me feel really uncomfortable. I recall walking into an area of my ship and Liam is shirtless. The "flirtation" dialogue options are just thrust awkwardly into these interactions and often made me really uncomfortable. Not just with Liam. On another ocasion I felt homosexuality being thrust without invitation on my character. It's crude and uncomfortable.

    I read a lot of science fiction from amateurs, and ALL OF IT is better than this. So why were no decent writers brought onto the payroll? There is absolutely no shortage of them in the marketplace.

    Okay, that is a lot of negativity, but I felt it important to illustrate that I am very aware of the flaws in this game. I'd still rate it a 6 or 7 because i'm still playing it, despite those many flaws, and i'm still enjoying most of it. I acknowledge that we shouldn't have to adapt to the flaws in an AAA title game, but it's kind of worth doing. There is a lot of content to enjoy here. The open world concept was done well, in my opinion. I welcome a departure from linear progression. Some are complaing about the multitude of side quests, but how is that new? It's an RPG. Every RPG does this. They are OPTIONAL quests. Spend time doing them if you wish or ignore them if you feel they are pointless. I appreciate having that choice and at least half of the sidequests were introduced in a fairly natural way. You're a pathfinder, after all. You're heading out into the wilderness so it does make sense that settlers would ask you to scan X or collect Y, since few would be capable of venturing out into danger themselves.

    Overall this title definitely doesn't live up to expectations but that doesn't make it unworthy of your time or money. Bioware didn't completely fail ; it's enjoyable, but it's not Mass Effect quality. Bioware deserves a chance to redeem themselves. But only one chance!    … Expand
  20. QuinnTs
    Mar 27, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Vague Spoilers:

    Due to the slow start, the game doesn't quite make it to 9. It takes about 5 hours before the game gets exciting.

    The combat is nearly perfect and the amount of class customization is vast. One cool thing to note: You can switch classes at any point.

    Some of characters are a bit annoying (Liam, Peebee, Cora) but the rest are interesting and the loyalty missions are equal if not better than the ones in ME2.

    The Nomad controls very well and has several upgrades.

    Animation is a little weird at times and the games tends to lag when you drive the Nomad really fast on the planets.

    New races (Kett, Angara, Remnant) are interesting and original.

    The game is much longer than the last 3 games and there are many, many side quests to do.

    One cool thing to do in the game is increasing the livability of the planets so you can plant an outpost.

    I found when I stopped comparing this to the trilogy and judging the game as its own game, the game felt great!    … Expand
  21. AgentICE
    Apr 11, 2017
    8
    If you love Mass Effect, you'll feel the same about ME: Andromeda. Despite the character models not feeling very Next Gen-ish, I found it very entertaining. I love games that allow you to create your own characters, but I felt it was easier to create a decent-looking character in previous titles. Despite this issue, this is game that I will place in heavy rotation.
  22. stavrosperi
    Mar 22, 2017
    5
    It hurts me that they use the mass effect name-my favorite video game trilogy ever-for this game.It is mediocre at best.The official reviews are quite forgiving and if it wasn't called mass effect the scores would be even lower.

    So what's wrong with the game?It has lots of problems, but the most important is that It lacks soul and it lacks love.The things that the trilogy had and dragon    It hurts me that they use the mass effect name-my favorite video game trilogy ever-for this game.It is mediocre at best.The official reviews are quite forgiving and if it wasn't called mass effect the scores would be even lower.

    So what's wrong with the game?It has lots of problems, but the most important is that It lacks soul and it lacks love.The things that the trilogy had and dragon origins had, while inquisition and Adromeda don't have.It feels like the games development was just a job that had to be done.

    Bioware is done.It's another company now, it's just the name that's the same.The same thing applies to this game compared to the trilogy.Sad but true.

    What is very good imo is that 2017 had the best start as far as gaming is conserned since many a year.Persona 5,Nioh, Nier Automata, Horizon dawn, Breath of the wild..These are rare gems. Very very strong opening for 2017, hope that this continuous, the industry was plugged by playing safe,take no risks ,no innovation,no love games like Andromeda.

    Whatever great games are released though, mass effect will always remain the series that a developed the strongest emotional attachment to.    … Expand
  23. OhPuck
    Mar 30, 2017
    1
    Always been a Mass Effect fan. Loved the game play, story, combat, all of it. This game within 5 hours of playing presented me with a Sudoku like puzzle with no explanation as to what it is or how to solve it. Terrible 4k quality picture on the XB1 compared to any other platform (it looks like a decent XB360 port). And gave me walking controls so disconnected that I felt more like a movingAlways been a Mass Effect fan. Loved the game play, story, combat, all of it. This game within 5 hours of playing presented me with a Sudoku like puzzle with no explanation as to what it is or how to solve it. Terrible 4k quality picture on the XB1 compared to any other platform (it looks like a decent XB360 port). And gave me walking controls so disconnected that I felt more like a moving air hockey puck. I constantly had issues over jumping or running off an edge because my character wouldn't stop.

    Throw in an inventory system where you cant tell how to upgrade, build, equip, or generally just know what you have, and you have a game so frustrating that within 2 hours you will be so annoyed you'll just quit like me. Honestly this is a horrid attempt at a sequel from a great company. This felt like more of a cash grab. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Not worth it even at a 50% discount 4 Christmases from now.    … Expand
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. DukeJon
    Apr 4, 2017
    6
    Good

    - combat
    - world exploration
    - scope

    Bad

    - facial anims
    - glitches and bugs
    - dull characters
    - lousy dialogue
    - ugly faces on characters
    - unable to play as a white person. racist bigot for a game designer. SJW handprints everywhere.
  27. GamingPoptartTV
    Jun 4, 2017
    8
    When it comes to this game. i fear it suffers from what some games do and that is people hating on it because its fun to. Yes this game has many problems. Poor animation for certain character modules as Human facial movement, and Asari don't really look up to snuff. While Salarian and Turians shine with this new ascetic direction. The story was to me a fun and emotional ride at times withWhen it comes to this game. i fear it suffers from what some games do and that is people hating on it because its fun to. Yes this game has many problems. Poor animation for certain character modules as Human facial movement, and Asari don't really look up to snuff. While Salarian and Turians shine with this new ascetic direction. The story was to me a fun and emotional ride at times with interesting characters.… Expand
  28. hcliffed
    May 29, 2017
    9
    I'm reviewing this post 1.07, where the game is now extremely stable.

    The continued hate should be directed at EA, not necessarily Bioware Montreal, who obviously busted their tails; no Mass Effect would live up to expectations. Enjoy it for what it is, play through the entire story, and if you're intelligent enough to understand the scope, you'll find a killer experience. The    I'm reviewing this post 1.07, where the game is now extremely stable.

    The continued hate should be directed at EA, not necessarily Bioware Montreal, who obviously busted their tails; no Mass Effect would live up to expectations.

    Enjoy it for what it is, play through the entire story, and if you're intelligent enough to understand the scope, you'll find a killer experience.

    The multiplayer alone has given my friends and I hundreds of extra hours of enjoyment!    … Expand
  29. 0serg
    Jun 10, 2017
    9
    It's pretty obvious that ME:A is not the game that a lot of people expected it to be. But hell, no, it doesn't make it a bad game in any aspect. I think that some amount of experimenting in fact is always good for a game, because otherwise everyone would be just repeating "good, proven" game designs and we'll be forced to choose from a set of nearly identical games with just cosmeticIt's pretty obvious that ME:A is not the game that a lot of people expected it to be. But hell, no, it doesn't make it a bad game in any aspect. I think that some amount of experimenting in fact is always good for a game, because otherwise everyone would be just repeating "good, proven" game designs and we'll be forced to choose from a set of nearly identical games with just cosmetic differences in gameplay. So downvoting of a good game with a score of zero just because it's somewhat different from what you wanted it to be is not just unfair, it's also stupid.

    As for me, I liked ME:A. It heavily reminded me original Mass Effect that I liked a lot (more than a later series, especially 3rd one). It's core game mechanics are extremely well polished and I like that game world is huge (much bigger than in any previous ME games). Story and personalities are just as good as in any other ME games - not the best (I'm surprised that a lot of people overestimate rather simplistic story in other ME series) but quite good and clearly better than in most other games you can play.

    I met several bugs during >20 hours of gameplay and couple of them were quite annoying, but given the sheer size of a game it's not much to complain. Some game elements like crafting or fetch quests are clearly underdeveloped, so I'd agree with people saying that Bioware tried to push more content in game that it was able to complete and polish. The game was clearly rushed to release deadline and it was somewhat stupid decision, since a few additional month of development could've easily address most of these issues. But despite some rough edges it's still a fully developed and great game that's very clearly better than ME3 and just as good as ME and ME2.

    I'll hope Bioware will release at least DLCs for ME:A. A lot of unfinished story lines were likely reserved for follow-up ME games, but mixed reception probably won't allow them to materialize. But DLCs could do same job and make ME:A a fully independent game of its own.    … Expand
  30. red_ninja_9
    Apr 19, 2017
    9
    Dang, this game is getting a lot of hate. I just finished the game and i really enjoyed it. There were definitely some minor bug and glitches in the animation and also frame drops sporatically. Nothing that is game breaking or of that calibur. The game is still well made and will give anyone high value entertainment. I recommend this game to all scifi fan.
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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

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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.
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  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]
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