Collecting My Thought on Mass Effect: Andromeda—Houston, We Have Problems

What an exciting prospect it was to set off into a new galaxy. After the conclusive ending of the original trilogy, I could only wonder what Mass Effect: Andromeda could offer in as distant a new setting as one could hope for. Unfortunately, the game became beleaguered as quickly as its dauntless characters did when they stepped foot in their new galaxy. A whole series of problems, new and old, presented themselves from the start of the game right to the end. Any sense of wonder I had coming in I soon understood would only ever be replaced by disappointment.

Young Ryder arrives in Andromeda aboard the human ark, which has been separated from the other arks of other Milky Way species due to a navigational mishap. They make first contact with the hostile kett and, later on, the much more agreeable angara. In the middle of this meeting of the intergalactic species is the mysterious remnant—robotic beings guarding massive geometric monoliths able to affect the very fabric of each planet. Ryder, after being designated the leader of the human colonists, must find a way to make Andromeda a viable place to settle while dealing with the various conflicts that arise between and within the many species. Out of all the game's problems, the most overarching is the one caused by the premise itself. Arguably, what made the initial trilogy so successful was the intrigue created by the rich histories and dynamics of the various Milky Way species. These histories had been thoroughly established and learning about them as you played the games was much of the thrill. This time, there was none of that. The two intelligent species of Andromeda have a fire-on-sight relationship and so the line between good and evil is big, black, bold and oh so boring. It made it difficult to want to follow the storylines of the many characters.

Other big issues include how the angara were so welcoming to the Milky Way strangers when their first experience with aliens, i.e. with the kett, left them reeling down the path to extinction. It made little sense and so, again, this served to prevent interest. It also didn't help that BioWare has not found a way to make any improvements in their cutscenes and dialogue. There is still absolutely no depth in the soundscape and dialogue flow is still jagged. All these problems drowned out any possible success the game could have had with its new characters and mechanics. Just like Ryder and the rest of the Milky Way travellers, what BioWare might be looking for now is a clean slate.

#SMH At how basic the kett are as villains compared to the spine-chilling Reapers.

#FavouriteMechanic Jumping opened up another (and very much welcome) dimension in exploration and combat, much like for Sekiro.

#FavouriteBoss The monstrous architect was frightening to encounter, challenging to fight and satisfying to defeat.

#SequelNeeded Let sleeping dogs lie, dammit, let them lie.