My face was tired to do this review, but I decided to do it anyway. But don’t expect perfection, for I’m only human, after all.
So don’t put the blame on me.
(Alright, enough with the overused MEA puns. On with the review!)
.
Title: Mass Effect: Andromeda
ESRB Rating: M17+
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA
Price Tag: $59.99 (got it for ‘free’ from Gamefly)
Release Date: March 21st, 2017
Game Engine: Frostbite 3
Available for these other systems: PC, XBox One
Number of Players: Single(Campaign), Multiplayer(APEX Missions)
Genre: 3rd person Action-RPG
Game Features: Arrive in the Andromeda Galaxy, millions of lightyears from home to start a new life. Take command of the ‘Tempest’, a ship capable of jumping to another system without the need of mass relays, and use it to find ‘Golden Worlds’ which are prime for colonization of humanity. Fight off the ‘Kett’, a race of unknown alien (and use the new ‘JumpJet’ to get the advantage).
Eventually you’ll be able to roll around on these worlds with the ‘Nomad’, which can be upgraded.
It’s your job as ‘Pathfinder’ to give these 200,000 souls a new start. How you do it, determines the Andromeda Initiative’s progress. Will you succeed?
Story: Taking place in the year 2185, between the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3, a movement called the ‘Andromeda Initiative’ is happening, of sending several ‘Arks'(of every space-faring species known) fitted to carry 200,000 beings in stasis on a 600+ year one-way trip to do the impossible; leave the Milky Way and enter the Andromeda Galaxy. Upon arriving in the galaxy, a large space station called the ‘Nexus’ was built (to eventually serve as Andromeda’s Citadel).
The player is part of ‘Ark Hyperion'(the human ark), with the player character’s father (‘Alec Ryder’) chosen to be humanity’s “Pathfinder”. Pathfinders are responsible for locating “Golden Worlds” suitable for colonization (starting in the ‘Heleus Cluster’, and maybe one day the entire galaxy).
When Ark Hyperion finally arrives in the Andromeda Galaxy(in the year 2819, 634 years later), the Pathfinder locates ‘Habitat 7’, a possible ‘Golden World’ that looks perfect for colonization of humanity. However, as they approach the planet, a strange cloud-like structure (known as the ‘Scourge’) develops next to the Ark(as if someone or something doesn’t want them near the planet). The player (awoken from stasis when the Ark arrives in the galaxy) assists their father in heading down to the planet. But a strange electrical storm destroys the two dropships.
Now, the young Ryder must find their companions, from…whatever is on this strange world that’s millions of light years away from Earth.
On top of that, the other Arks have gone missing (some assume destroyed).
Main Character: The player can pick as either Scott or Sara Ryder. Like the Mass Effect series, the player can only change the first name of the character. Who the player picks, they will be stuck with (while their twin is stuck in stasis for awhile after a temporary power outage caused by the Scourge). That Ryder twin is part of the Pathfinder team, but is inexperienced. After the Epilogue, the player character is ‘chosen’ (in a heroic, but also tragic fashion) to be the Pathfinder.
Side Characters: The player character meets (and works with) a lot of people on the Pathfinder team, so it’s hard to pick just one.
Enemies: The “Kett”(their unofficial name), are bipedal aliens of unknown origin. Their only way to communicate is attacking anything that gets in their way(yet somehow as the story progresses, able to speak our tongue). The reason why they attack is unclear, but theories start to emerge that they might be scavengers and aren’t native to Habitat 7.
There are also the ancient “Reverent”, a species of robots who are assumed to be the caretakers of large facilities called ‘Vaults’. They are also seen outside in small parties, scanning alien tech.
Combat/Health System: Like the series, combat is based under a duck and cover system (waiting for the shield to come back while shooting behind cover). However, with the ‘JumpJet’, the player can play as they want (by launching into the air and taking out targets before they have a chance to use cover). The player can do this and more of what powers they choose. They can also use special Biotics to control the fight to their advantage even more (with one able to pull enemies toward the player and launch them like toys).
If the player dies, they can respawn at the last auto(or quicksave).
Maps/Levels/Chapters: The game can take place in many scenes, such as the Nexus, the Hyperion Ark, the Tempest, and on several Golden Worlds.
.
What I liked;
-You can get back on the Tempest at anytime by using the Nomad and holding down Triangle.
-As an added ‘bonus’ to being a Pathfinder, sometimes you have to play politics (as in, cleaning up after your father’s ‘messes’).
-The Nexus is right on the edge of a gas giant. That’s pretty wild.
-Unlike in the original series, the player has to plot a course for the system that has the Nexus, go to the gas giant that the Nexus orbits, and then dock.
-The Tempest can land, unlike the Normandy (which has to stay in orbit).
-A black hole that…swallowed its system! FUCKING HELL that disc is huge (with the event horizon as big (I assume) as Sagittarius A*!
What I didn’t like;
-No way to skip the takeoff/landing cutscenes of the Tempest. A shame. At least they have the option to skip the cutscenes of the Tempest going from one object to another in a system.
-Very limited character customization (such as, no option for customized eyes, and very little options for hair styles). My Ryder looks nothing like me.
-“Multiplayer is available” popping up while customizing my Ryder. ..really? Shouldn’t this be unlocked after the Epilogue?
-The player character doesn’t really seem to care about their twins’ health of not being able to come out of stasis, even when everyone else tries to make them care.
-Trying to do a quest on the Nexus, the quest icon says to go towards the Nexus, then turns around and tells me to go to the Hyperion Ark after passing a door. WTF?!
-When on Habitat 7, there were these icons for ‘ALIEN STRUCTURE’ on the map. I thought you were supposed to scan everything in the area. Pretty sure I do, yet the icon stayed.
-Kett are listed as ‘Unknown’ during the Epilogue, yet suddenly are named ‘Chosen’ or other types of soldiers later on (with no info as to how or why). Also, why was “Kett” chosen to be the name of the race? So many unanswered questions.
-If the Nexus is hurting so bad for resources, why didn’t they just scrap the Tempest for parts (and leave the Pathfinder stranded)? They must not be hurting that bad (yet Addison claims “we’re dying here, Ryder! Go Pathfound something!”).
-Sometimes (usually when driving around in the Nomad), or when not fighting anything, the game acts like there’s server lag.. like the Nomad stops and then goes at the same speed as before, or doors not opening (especially on the Tempest) until some time later. I don’t know if this is intentional(it better not be as it’s immersion-breaking), a bug only on the PS4 release, or it’s affecting everyone.
Final Opinions/Thoughts;
Hmm.. what to say. Currently I feel I’ve played through 1/4 of the game to get an understanding of the story, the features, the characters(well..some. IMO most of them are forgettable), and other stuff.
For the overall feel of the story, it started off as something IMO I would possibly expect if one was to come to a new galaxy unannounced. However, having Alec Ryder calling Habitat 7 a Golden World (according to the Ark Hyperion’s long range sensors) yet it didn’t see the atmosphere wasn’t breathable?! And how in the heck are the Kett now able to speak our tongue when they couldn’t before? Magic?
Another thing that bugs me…well, two things (both related to quests), one thing is how I don’t like how some quests have you running back and forth between one planet and another. And the other one is I don’t like how they did the layout of showing what quests are available(through the Journal).
You know I’m going to say it. This thing is overhyped(obvious), and very buggy(also obvious..such as roaming NPCs running away from me when I try to talk to them, or Liam glitching through a wall in the Tempest). But it’s not a bad game. I get a solid 60FPS, even during battles. The only time there’s ever a ‘jerk’ is during cutscenes.