Mass Effect Andromeda Review

Mass Effect Andromeda (Xbox One, PS4, PC) (Rated Mature)

Video Review

To say that Mass Effect Andromeda had not only a massive legacy to live up to, but for many, it needed to make up for what was seen as a lackluster ending, to one of gaming's greatest franchises. Now, lets make something very, very clear, this is not like The Force Awakens... This is not a trip down memory lane, this is not pure fan service, and it's ties to the first Trilogy are merely the foundation for this world's incredible Lore. There are of course plenty of familiar sights, and the game still feels like Mass Effect, but the story is taking us off into an entirely new kind of adventure.

The story follows one of the Ryder siblings, with you choosing the look for your sibling, and then you set off creating your very own Pathfinder. This is a game not about defending the galaxy from some cliched and ultimately dull enemies, lets not sugar coat it people. The Geth as cool as they looked, were not the greatest antagonists. This is a game that is less about the fight to save humanity from a growing threat, although that is still in there naturally, this is more about finding a new beginning.

I think in many ways after the last entry, that was the best call. Let's realize the original vision for the series. A game about space exploration, and not just fighting an evil force, but trying to find a new world to call home. It is a relatable story arc that is seen with far less frequency, than the tried and true we must stop the evil ones. I also liked that Ryder is not ready for his task at the start, that the entire prologue is like passing the torch. Shepard, his crew and all the faces you want to see are sadly long dead by the time the game starts.

This is set far, far into the future, with references to past events, but make no mistake this is a new story, with new and far more authentic and compelling characters. There is no denying the old crew were extremely memorable, but they also were mostly memorable based on how bad ass they were... This may be pleasing to some, but I enjoy characters that feel more like real people, that have far more nuanced ideals and motivations. Now are the backstories as melodramatic as some of our favorite crew were? No, they instead feel more like real people and that made me want to know even more about them. The conversations were natural and really felt like it was building a bond between your new crew, who I am sure will be our new family, much like the old crew.

The issues anyone will have with the story, will simply be subjective, it may not be the direction you want to see the series go in, it may not be Mass Effect to you. But if you give it a chance, and really let it envelop you, you will feel those old feelings and then go, shit this is the game I wanted Mass Effect 1 to be. Everything from the new Ride, to the way you explore planets feels like what we were promised Mass Effect was going to be.

A massive galaxy full of stories big and small, that are all worth seeing through to the end. And instead of clear cut, good or bad choices, you are making the much harder ones. The ones that are not obvious, and have a bit of good and bad. It may seem like your choices have less of an impact on the story, but that to me was always like the icing to the cake. I loved making Shepard my Shepard, and you will do the same with Ryder.

This is also the most fluid combat has ever been in a Mass Effect game, it is still rough around the edges in places, but also remarkably impressive in others. Yes, there are times when traversal can be just a bit clunky, and the melee combat while extremely visceral, can also have its clunky moments. However gun-play and power usage has never been better, the action in Andromeda is intense, thrilling and incredibly satisfying. I also loved seeing the return of platforming sections in a shooter, they were well done and gave a great sense of adventure to your voyage.

The weapon selection has also never been this deep before, although the best weapons need to be crafted... The crafting system is not clunky perse, it just is rather dull. You scan and scavenge for resources, but unless you're using space probes, the manual on-foot scanning is nowhere near as compelling, as what we saw in last year's No Man's Sky. Although I do like the idea, and would love to see it expanded upon in the next entry. Folks lets not forget, this is the start of a whole new Trilogy.

And now to piss off a lot of fans, but to be honest, this is a better start than either Mass Effect 1 or even the beloved second installment. I know that is a bold claim, but Bioware has learned from their past efforts, and no the facial animations are not bad at all. This is an area Bioware has always struggled with, but after the last Dragon Age, they seem to be making leaps in that area. Sometimes you see that old Bioware face, but it is more enduring than anything else. The only true issue that is noticeable is the frame rate drops...

Sadly and this is for sure due to the game's immense sense of beauty, but the frame rate will drop from time to time, it never impeded gameplay, but it was a blemish on a stellar package. We have to stop expecting our art to be what we want it to be, great artists "Never play to a gallery" as Bowie once said. So play and enjoy the experiences for what they are, and judge them based on what they are. Not what you want them to be. I can understand longtime fans having no interest in an entirely new story arc, that really leaves a lot of the past behind.

But you would be missing out on one of the best Sci-Fi games in recent memory, and also one of the best revivals I have seen. This is not a nostalgia factory, this is a new gaming experience and it is a joy to behold.