Sconesdeep

Talk about first world problems... I played 8 rounds of multiplayer and unlocked Darth Vader which maybe took around 2ish hours. I like the idea of working towards something rather than being handed everything... maybe that's my generation talking though. Heaven forbid anyone have to EARN anything in game. The game isn't bad at all and plays rather nicely compared to other titles that have come out this year. I don't understand why people who've obviously barely played the game are giving it 1's because they have to work a little.

Let's start with the elephant in the room here; facial and character animations/glitches. Not the quality I would expect for a Bioware release. Great, let’s move on. UI: Definitely nothing as bad as say Skyrim when it was first released. It's not as intuitive as The Witcher 3 but you get used to it after playing a few hours. The skills section is well laid out and easy to navigate. The buy/sell screen is a bit busy but reminds me a lot of the Fallout series. There’s a lack of sorting options and the way the game organizes inventory is a bit ‘meh’ but that’s very minor. The Galaxy Map has very little to scan but lots to read, quest interactions and pretty colours. It does feel like there's something missing though. The UI while in battle is perfect. There’s not too much going on and the pop-up menu for consumables/weapons and favorite set ups is easily accessible with great usability. There’s really nothing frustrating with the menus in this game and no glitches that I have come across. Combat: I have to say this is probably one of my favourite parts of this game. No longer are you locked into specific rolls. I love the fact that I can switch from Adept to Engineer to Vanguard all in one battle. The powers are really easy to use and using Throw to launch enemies out of sight never gets old. The additions of auto cover (albeit this threw me off at first) and jump jets allows for fast paced and dynamic combat. Your sidekick’s auto-combo alongside your attacks much like ME:2 and 3 but with more explosions and satisfaction. As far as AI is concerned, it’s not horrible and not amazing. It works. Story/Questing: I think the “rush” factor bleeds into this a little bit as well. One thing I found frustrating was the cutting out of conversations because I was moving too fast or scanning something and new dialogue would override the one that was occurring. I feel I missed out on some witty banter and mission intel because of this. Also, the abruptness of cut scenes was kind of jarring. Other than this, I found the writing and storyline to be pretty much on par with Bioware’s previous titles. I enjoyed the main quest line from meeting the Angara to figuring out what the hell is actually going on in Andromeda. I was satisfied by the ending and the fact that I could go back to exploring after the fact. The side quests for the most part are not the filler fetch quests you get in a large amount of RPG’s we see today. It’s obvious that Bioware took the time and effort to make sure they didn’t make the same mistake they made in Inquisition. That being said I’m pretty sure you can get through the game comfortably without mining at all. The mining is redundant, don’t do it unless you’re really short on minerals. Characters/Other: I think this is the first Mass Effect game that for me, did not have that one character you could care less about. Cora and Liam almost fell into this but give them a chance, they provide good conversation and Liam’s loyalty quest was my fave out of everyone’s but I found them all entertaining. I enjoyed learning about everyone’s past and their views. The multiplayer is a fun way to take a break and complete Apex missions in a more interactive fashion than just assigning teams to them. The AVP system is a great way to gain perks and earn credits. Not much to say about these, they’re well thought out and provide an extra touch to the game without feeling like it’s patched on. One quick thing about the Nomad (your planet exploring vehicle); upgrade the six wheel drive speed ASAP. Other than that HUGE improvement on the Mako in ME:1. I’m sure there are things I missed but honestly, I was let down more by Skyrim than I was this game. Sure there’s some beauty work that needs to be done but after 5 hours that dissipates as you get submersed into the universe. You just have to let yourself get submersed instead of letting other people’s opinions matter. I think this is a situation of ‘love it for what it is; don’t hate for what it isn’t.’ Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great addition to the family and I will replay it. It’s unfortunate that the marketing got messed up on this one and that this game will never get the attention it deserves. It’s a huge game and a lot of work went into it and that does show when you delve deep into the game. I read some reviews that judge the game on factors that get resolved later on in the game. For example, I believe it was someone from PC Gamer that said the open world was hindered by zones you couldn’t go to. If they had played the game enough they would have realized that this was only on one planet and you resolve that issue by completing a quest not too far into the game. Either way, I had a lot of fun playing this game and am looking forward to continued exploration and DLC.

Kickstarter shenanigans aside, the game is meh. There's not a whole lot to say other than it feels sorta like Megaman. It's fun though. Controls ARE responsive and I haven't run into any major glitches or frame rate drops. The soundtrack is good too. I can see speed runs in this game being fun if you're into that. Eitherway, for it's price point it's not bad. Definitely not as bad as a lot of people are saying. It's not Megaman X but I've played worse games that have gotten a lot higher scores.