Mass Effect Andromeda Review – An Uneven Experience

Mass Effect Andromeda has seen its fair share of criticism prior to release as a result of EA’s early access program but now that the game is out for all to play there is a balance in the feedback taking in both the pros and cons. I’ve been a huge fan of the Mass Effect series over the years with Mass Effect 2 landing as one of my favorite video games of all time. I was looking forward to seeing where BioWare took the Mass Effect franchise and how they could expand the universe.

Mass Effect Andromeda is an action role-playing game that takes place in a new unexplored galaxy far from events in the previous video game series. You can play as either Scott or Sara Ryder with the ability to change your appearance or play with the default facial features. If you have played any of the Mass Effect games then most of the combat, interactions and exploration will feel similar but there are some major changes to take note. The biggest change has come in the form of combat where you have ‘jump jets’ that allow you to rise above the action and shoot down on enemies while hovering. Another change in the interface is the travel animation which gives the ship’s point of view when moving from one planet to the next. The third biggest change is in the dialogue system which gives more choices this time around and nothing is as clear as answering in ‘renegade’ or ‘paragon’.

What you may have heard about Mass Effect Andromeda is mostly true as far as complaints. The animation during dialogue scenes does not hold your interest because characters don’t appear to be looking at one another with their ‘dead eyes’. The new cover mechanic needs refinement as it seems to ‘bump’ in and out of cover depending on your aim and reloading. Ultimately the worst thing about Mass Effect Andromeda is the core story which is basically about meeting new aliens and exploring — quite the opposite from the past series which always alluded to impending doom. I could easily forgive the poor character animations and other hiccups if the story of Mass Effect Andromeda was strong and engaging.

Final thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda:

Mass Effect Andromeda is not a great video game or a terrible video game – as it stands now it is sort of a ‘middle of the road’ video game. I expect over time patches and upgrades will be released to enhance the game but as it stands now Mass Effect Andromeda is an uneven experience. Mass Effect Andromeda feels much like a spin-off video game to the main series like it was made by a lesser team of game developers or quality control testers. Criticism aside I think that Mass Effect Andromeda is worth picking up at a discount.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_1iG32Y5Cc