Our Review of Mass Effect Andromeda
Mass Effect 2 is the best game of the previous generation. The characters are deep, the gameplay is fun, the story is fascinating, and the overall experience is pretty much perfect. Mass Effect 3 was also extremely good, not quite clearing the bar set by its predecessor. Regardless, with a new generation of game systems and a five year hiatus, expectations were high for Mass Effect Andromeda. With fifty hours of gameplay behind us, we’re ready to conclude that it doesn’t quite measure up to the other games in the series. But if you’re a fan of the series, you might find some fun things to love.
You’re the man, Jaal. In touch with his feelings while still able to blast through hordes of enemies. If only he can get Belle to fall in love with him before that rose loses its last petal.
Mass Effect Andromeda does a lot of stuff right, particularly relocating the series to a distant galaxy entirely removed from the original series. You control one of the Ryder twins who serve as “Pathfinders,” or leaders of this pioneering expedition. Ryder is quickly confronted with several problems, including the fact that the initial colonists have suffered a mutiny, that the other pioneers have not arrived on schedule, and that a hostile alien race is working against your efforts. This is the kind of game that gives you a lot of goals to achieve and a wide galaxy to pursue them in. You quickly assemble a crew and bounce around the universe, visiting different worlds, forging alliances and finding resources. There’s a lot of work to do, but don’t worry, you’re never forced to make any of the painful decisions like you did in the original series.
There are a lot of places to go and things to see. Buckle up for some loading screens (they are brief, but you’ll be spending lots of time with them regardless).
Gameplay is pretty fun. Ryder has the ability to jump great distances, allowing you to relocate quickly in gunfights to gain an advantage. Ryder’s got the same abilities that Shepherd had, so if you enjoyed throwing telekinectic blasts or slamming opponents with a dash attack, you can do that. The settlements you visit are often beautifully realized and varied; the planets – on the other hand – are also beautiful but barren, making your long drives in the Nomad feel like a road trip with your family (snippets of dialogue between your companions helps, but why didn’t they put a radio in this thing?). I didn’t care much for Ryder herself, she came across as a Nathan Drake clone rather than the strong leader Shepherd was. Ryder’s companions, though, are pretty fun and there’s a vast myriad of other supporting characters to interact with throughout the universe.
It’s a beautiful drive, if only you had somewhere to go.
The strangest thing about Mass Effect Andromeda is its bizarre devotion to the Nomad sequences. You’re repeated tasked with landing on a world and driving long distances to different locations to pick up an item or interact with a character. These sequences were the biggest weakness in the original Mass Effect and the two sequels wisely got rid of them. Here, driving the Nomad is fine but isn’t particularly fun. The worlds are beautifully designed but there’s not much to do. You can stop and fight some aliens or stop and mine some minerals, but mostly you drive and drive across vast empty areas looking for ancient dungeons containing terraforming technology. While the idea of pioneering new worlds is fun, the actual world building in Mass Effect involves entering these dark dungeons, activating ancient technology and then dashing out before it kills you (I’m still not sure why it kills you). Mass Effect is pretty fun when you’re on the bridge or visiting a settlement, but once you’re exploring planets the fun factor decreases significantly.
These dim, blue, dark temples aren’t a whole lot of fun to explore. If this ancient race could master terraforming, surely they could figure out interior lighting?
Ultimately, I came away from Mass Effect Andromeda feeling like I did walking out of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; it was disappointing when compared to previous entries but I was still happy to see another entry in a franchise I loved. I don’t think anyone will argue that this new entry is better than the originals in any way, but there is still fun to be had. Jaal makes a terrific and original crewmate. The gunfights are fluid and frenzied. Your crewmates have a fun rapport and the romance options are always fun.
I didn’t say much about your enemy in the game. There’s not a lot to say.
The Best Parts
Graphics (except for the odd facial animations), gameplay, and music are all solid. The pioneering spirit of the game is fun too.
The Worst Parts
The characters and the story are fine but pale compared to the previous titles. Trips in the Nomad get a little tedious and you’ll wish the errand-running sidequests got the same attention the planetary backgrounds did.
OVERALL: RENT IT
It’s worth trying this title out to see if you enjoy it. By the end of your first planet, you’ll have two of your best companions and a good idea of what the next 20-30 hours will be like.
