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Mass Effect: Andromeda |OT| Ryders on the Storm

Shinobi is gone for a awhile? Thats unfortunate the guy is so nice and provides so many industry tidbits about upcoming projects. That impressions thread was a disaster all these ppl throwing him under a bus cause hed had positive impressions of a new installment of a series hed been excited about. I mean he dealt fair criticisms against even in his impressions but no a well respected member instead gets called a shill by the no fun brigade taking a piss on anything thats not a 10 and if you like it you're a shill cause he got an early copy? Fucking stupid, this forum sometimes I really dont get the animosity on it.
 

Nekrono

Member
As someone who has yet to start this game, this article has me worried. Can anyone confirm or deny what is claimed in there?

I really don't want another grind fest filled with meaningless crap again. Dragon Age was enough.

I've invested around 80 hours into the game so far and I think I'm halfway through the main story, having said that I would strongly encourage that you listen to Easy Allies review.

Just leave the video playing in the background to avoid slight spoilers.

This is the first review that I feel encapsulates proper feelings and views towards the game, I strongly relate to everything in the review except PS4 performance/bugs as I am playing on PC and have run into very few bugs. I really think Andromeda has done several things right with the franchise and it's a fantastic foundation for upcoming titles in the Andromeda franchise, it is worth playing and investing time into it.

As far as your main concern, I think several quests are errands and just recover this or scan that, etc, you don't get sick loot and you don't get major cutscenes as rewards but you do get a couple of lines of dialogue and it helps with the world/lore building, just make sure you do them when you're close by while doing a major quest, etc, they are meant to be gameplay and lore filler/building not the cherry on the top.
 

MCD250

Member
Huh? I didn't get a spoiler, I don't think. Did it come in an email or something?



Personally I think it's hard to compare characters to the other trilogy since a lot of them got 2 or even 3 games worth of development. I'm not completely finished yet, but I think I like the crew better than I liked the crew right after ME1.
I'd for sure say this crew is better and more likable than the ME1 guys (most of whom were kind of archetypal, in a way; to some extent they seemed to exist as gateways to introduce you to their respective alien species, rather than as individual characters in their own right). They're maybe not as interesting or unique as the ME2 crew, but they're much more interactive and fun. And the ME3 crew was bssically a more fleshed out version of the ME1 guys, save for some new additions like Javik and Vega.

I like the new characters a lot, honestly. Not just your squadmates, but also the more incidental Tempest crew members like Gil, Kallo, Suvi, etc. I feel like they make a more memorable impression than many of the Normandy crew like Dr. Chakwas, Kenneth and Gabby, etc. (not that those weren't fine characters too).
 

Madness

Member
Reaction to this game pisses me off so much... I actually think the scores this game is getting are somewhat deserved, but what I don't understand is why people ever gave Mass Effect 3 a pass in exactly the same areas! Andromeda has much better new characters, sidequests are miles better than Mass Effect 3 and story and writing are about on the same level.

This game somehow became a scapegoat for everything that large studios have done in the past. Did everyone just forget how shitty ME 3 opening was?

Anyway, I'm enjoying Andromeda much more than I enjoyed ME 3 and I'm hoping to see review which is more about Andromeda is instead of what it could have been...

Well it is your opinion on those things no? I think ME3 is the superior game in a lot of aspects and is overall better. Plus, ME3 came out over 5 years ago. These people had 5+ years of development, 5+ years of learning on what worked and didn't work with ME3, on more powerful hardware and made a worse game. I mean the sequels of games are always held to stricter standards than the earlier games. ME:Andromeda 2 will be torn to shreds if they stick to some of the same things here. I think the dialogue is really worse at times, they removed a paragon/renegade system that really varied in actions and responses for more of the same with slightly changed humor, logic options but which doesn't really change the end dialogue. We get maybe one quick time prompt every 15 hours. Sidequests coupled with the transitions and loadings are horrendous. By the time of Voeld or Kadara you don't want to do anything that is not priority or allies/relationships.

A lot of reviews rightfully call ME:A for what it is. A middling Mass Effect which doesn't reach the heights expected of the series or its promises. If this game wasn't called Mass Effect or made by BioWare, it would have been savaged even more, count on it.
 

prag16

Banned
If this game wasn't called Mass Effect or made by BioWare, it would have been savaged even more, count on it.

"Savaged even more" meaning what exactly? I think it would be the exact opposite. The critical reception may not have been much different or only marginally better. But there would be no hyperbolic internet hate train if this was "Joe's Awesome Scifi RPG!" rather than Bioware/ME.
 

-Amon-

Member
"Savaged even more" meaning what exactly? I think it would be the exact opposite. The critical reception may not have been much different or only marginally better. But there would be no hyperbolic internet hate train if this was "Joe's Awesome Scifi RPG!" rather than Bioware/ME.

When i judge a game, expecially a sequel, I obviously consider the quality of its predecessor.

Watch uncharted 3. A beautiful game per se, but failing to best uncharted 2 was criticized by many.

Bioware had the skill and the tools to make a game on par with the first trilogy. Plus much more powerful hardware.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Yeah, if this was a new IP from an untested developer it would have been "savaged" way less.

I think professional reviews would have scored it about the same as I think most are very fair in their ratings.

However, it wouldn't get the backlash in the gaming community as frankly few would have cared as people don't pay much attention to new IP that get 7s and 8s on average.

But because it's a fourth game in a hugely popular series, expectations were sky high as it had a high bar to meet (even more when put against other WRPGs that raised the bar further since ME3) and tons of people were paying attention--both fans and haters of the series/Bioware. Thus why it's gotten so "savaged" despite being a pretty good game even having a lot of warts and being disappointing compared to its predecessors for many/most.
 

Cranster

Banned
Gaf has a new abandon thread gif.

UnhealthyDownrightJackrabbit-size_restricted.gif
 
Well it is your opinion on those things no? I think ME3 is the superior game in a lot of aspects and is overall better. Plus, ME3 came out over 5 years ago. These people had 5+ years of development, 5+ years of learning on what worked and didn't work with ME3, on more powerful hardware and made a worse game. I mean the sequels of games are always held to stricter standards than the earlier games. ME:Andromeda 2 will be torn to shreds if they stick to some of the same things here. I think the dialogue is really worse at times, they removed a paragon/renegade system that really varied in actions and responses for more of the same with slightly changed humor, logic options but which doesn't really change the end dialogue. We get maybe one quick time prompt every 15 hours. Sidequests coupled with the transitions and loadings are horrendous. By the time of Voeld or Kadara you don't want to do anything that is not priority or allies/relationships.

A lot of reviews rightfully call ME:A for what it is. A middling Mass Effect which doesn't reach the heights expected of the series or its promises. If this game wasn't called Mass Effect or made by BioWare, it would have been savaged even more, count on it.

ME 3 sidequests were better? Or maybe the new non-DLC characters were? (I played the whole game just few months ago and I don't even remember their names) Was it more than one? Loyalty missions didn't really exist, so I'm not even sure why you mentioned those... Writing is way more subjective, so it's hard to argue there, but for me ME 3 was a huge disappointment. In fact I thought ending was perfectly fine, it's just everything else that was way worse than ME 2. In my mind Andromeda is a huge improvement.

I do realize that a lot of it is just opinions. Kind of impossible argument to win. But this is the first time I'm fast forwarding portions of podcasts simply because they are trashing the game I'm enjoying. It's not that I'm strongly disagreeing with them. Typically complains are valid. My issue is that nobody is really bringing anything to the conversation. It's just trashing without much critique... And I believe there's difference...
 

obeast

Member
ME 3 sidequests were better? Or maybe the new non-DLC characters were? (I played the whole game just few months ago and I don't even remember their names) Was it more than one? Loyalty missions didn't really exist, so I'm not even sure why you mentioned those... Writing is way more subjective, so it's hard to argue there, but for me ME 3 was a huge disappointment. In fact I thought ending was perfectly fine, it's just everything else that was way worse than ME 2. In my mind Andromeda is a huge improvement.

I do realize that a lot of it is just opinions. Kind of impossible argument to win. But this is the first time I'm fast forwarding portions of podcasts simply because they are trashing the game I'm enjoying. It's not that I'm strongly disagreeing with them. Typically complains are valid. My issue is that nobody is really bringing anything to the conversation. It's just trashing without much critique... And I believe there's difference...

I think you're doing ME 3 a bit of a disservice here. Ignoring for a second the possibility that ME3's writing might be superior to ME:A's on a line-by-line basis (I would characterize both's as "uneven"), ME3 had some really well-done and arguably unprecedented choice & consequence questlines that ME:A simply can't touch.

Specifically, I'm thinking of the Tuchanka and Rannoch plot arcs, which comprise a pretty big chunk of the overall game. Both are highly cinematic, tie off the character arcs of well-rendered series favorites (Mordin, Wrex, Tali, Legion), resolve important conflicts (Geth v. Quarians; Krogan v. everyone), and can resolve in radically divergent ways. Moreover, their resolution is sensitive to your decisions in the previous games (Wrex in ME1, Maelon in ME2, Geth in ME2, etc.), which as far as I know is unique in AAA RPGs.

ME:A doesn't have anything on that level. Is its dialogue just as good/bad as ME3's weaker moments? Maybe. But its quest design never even approaches ME3's highs.
 

eot

Banned
I think you're doing ME 3 a bit of a disservice here. Ignoring for a second the possibility that ME3's writing might be superior to ME:A's on a line-by-line basis (I would characterize both's as "uneven"), ME3 had some really well-done and arguably unprecedented choice & consequence questlines that ME:A simply can't touch.

Specifically, I'm thinking of the Tuchanka and Rannoch plot arcs, which comprise a pretty big chunk of the overall game. Both are highly cinematic, tie off the character arcs of well-rendered series favorites (Mordin, Wrex, Tali, Legion), resolve important conflicts (Geth v. Quarians; Krogan v. everyone), and can resolve in radically divergent ways. Moreover, their resolution is sensitive to your decisions in the previous games (Wrex in ME1, Maelon in ME2, Geth in ME2, etc.), which as far as I know is unique in AAA RPGs.

ME:A doesn't have anything on that level. Is its dialogue just as good/bad as ME3's weaker moments? Maybe. But its quest design never even approaches ME3's highs.

ME3 has its moments, but Rannoch isn't that good tbh. Tuchanka is much better.
 

obeast

Member
ME3 has its moments, but Rannoch isn't that good tbh. Tuchanka is much better.

I too prefer Tuchanka, but I was less arguing about pure quality than about how well-designed both quests are in terms of series-spanning choice and consequence (although I guess Tuchanka's better for that, too). I think the anger about ME3's ending obscures the fact that it is the only Mass Effect game to ever seriously deliver on its promise of decisions with ramifications that span games.

ME2 just dodges all your ME1 choices, for instance. No ME1 decision has a significant impact on any part of your game. Obviously, ME:A can't be expected to do the same thing, being a first entry and all, but it's an example of something ME3 has that ME:A doesn't. (And I'd also argue, more subjectively, that both quests and esp. Tuchanka are just flat-out better than pretty much any questline in ME:A).

Edit - I should add, since I may seem like I'm a ME3 zealot, that it's probably my least favorite game of the original series, after ME1 and ME2.
 
I think you're doing ME 3 a bit of a disservice here. Ignoring for a second the possibility that ME3's writing might be superior to ME:A's on a line-by-line basis (I would characterize both's as "uneven"), ME3 had some really well-done and arguably unprecedented choice & consequence questlines that ME:A simply can't touch.

Specifically, I'm thinking of the Tuchanka and Rannoch plot arcs, which comprise a pretty big chunk of the overall game. Both are highly cinematic, tie off the character arcs of well-rendered series favorites (Mordin, Wrex, Tali, Legion), resolve important conflicts (Geth v. Quarians; Krogan v. everyone), and can resolve in radically divergent ways. Moreover, their resolution is sensitive to your decisions in the previous games (Wrex in ME1, Maelon in ME2, Geth in ME2, etc.), which as far as I know is unique in AAA RPGs.

ME:A doesn't have anything on that level. Is its dialogue just as good/bad as ME3's weaker moments? Maybe. But its quest design never even approaches ME3's highs.

A lot of the story was set up in Mass Effect 2 and I don't agree that it was well delivered. It was even more convenient (particularly conflict resolution) than some of the aspects of Andromeda. Where I would agree is the fact that Andromeda doesn't have any meaningful choices, but that didn't bother me much. That said I think conversation about illusion of choice and character attachment (i.e. decision making) is something that is worth having. But that's overshadowed by the discussion how Andromeda is a "direct to video sequel to amazing Trilogy of games".
 
The side quest on Eos where you end up fighting an architect keeps glitching out on me. It keeps getting stuck in the air. Multiple times now.
 

Grisby

Member
End game spoilers. Man, Suvi
just doesn't want to give up on eating plants does she?
The side quest on Eos where you end up fighting an architect keeps glitching out on me. It keeps getting stuck in the air. Multiple times now.
Happened to me to. Nothing I could do about it.

Just floats for eternity.
 

Vico

Member
I'm at the hangar on the kett base (Voeld) and I have No idea how I'm supposed to get past the boss. This is ridiculously hard.
 

Revas

Member
I'm at the hangar on the kett base (Voeld) and I have No idea how I'm supposed to get past the boss. This is ridiculously hard.

Focus on taking out all the regular enemies before going at the boss. I zipped around the room taking shots at the orb with my sniper, and hit the boss with everything I had for the split second he was vulnerable.
 
Focus on taking out all the regular enemies before going at the boss. I zipped around the room taking shots at the orb with my sniper, and hit the boss with everything I had for the split second he was vulnerable.

That's the hardest fight I've faced thus far. Harder than the architects.

Boss spoilers

What I'm not sure about is why. I've encountered that same boss type since and he's no where near as difficult
 

Vico

Member
Focus on taking out all the regular enemies before going at the boss. I zipped around the room taking shots at the orb with my sniper, and hit the boss with everything I had for the split second he was vulnerable.

I was going to say it's even more awful because there is also that scene right before with the infinite enemy respawn, but I finally managed to beat the boss. Much easier when I get to keep my teammates alive.

Though now I've finished the Kett base, and I'm getting an insane number of bugs all at once. My experience was smooth up until now.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Making a ton of progress today, taking a dinner break.

Got Elaaden to 100%, so that's all planets. Decided to knock out the Heleus missions in my log, so been working on those and hope to finish the rest up tonight. Finished Peebees loyalty mission, and committed to her (not to the sex scene yet)--just have Jaal and Drak's loyalty missions left, and some other quests in the allies/relationship section. Would like to get those done tonight as well, but may not have time.

Having a lot of fun today as lucked out in that most of the stuff in my Heleus mission log have been pretty decent story missions--though a few have been awful with having to fly to multiple planets.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
So the firefighters mission. I want to help fix this kids spinal implants. Sam said he has the schematics to build him something but when i go to the research center on my ship there is no option to make it. Help'
 

Plasma

Banned
So the firefighters mission. I want to help fix this kids spinal implants. Sam said he has the schematics to build him something but when i go to the research center on my ship there is no option to make it. Help'
It should be in development under the special tab.
 
Peebee Loyalty Mission Small Spoilers/Animation Stuff:

If you take Drack with you to the Volcano, the restraints can't fit over him so the sound will keep looping haha

Not sure if intentional or not, but it was a nice touch.
 
I'm really enjoying this game... it sucks cause I feel like I'm supposed to be hating it. It gives me a lot of the Mass Effect 1 exploring planet vibes, which I love.


Hahaha, I had the same thing! Ok, so this must be an issue with the state of the animation when it is engaged, since she's in a different position then any other npc in the game. There must be a conflict with the weighting system with their rigs and procedural emotes. I'd love to know the issue.
 

Replicant

Member
I didn't see that, but
Vetra and Jaal
were flirting up a storm during one especially lengthy Nomad ride...

I thought it was hilarious and remind me of Garrus/Tali sekritt romance on the Normandy that my Shephard happened to see (both were blushing when they got busted).

For Ryder, it's one of those "Eww, my friends are flirting with each other. Can you guys please save it for when I'm not here?" kind of moment which usually happen when you're like family with them.
 
Awesome new bug. When I close the menus I get a sound effect like falling, clanking coins. It plays on an infinite loop.

Quitting and reloading seems to have fixed it.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Peebee Loyalty Mission Small Spoilers/Animation Stuff:

If you take Drack with you to the Volcano, the restraints can't fit over him so the sound will keep looping haha

Not sure if intentional or not, but it was a nice touch.

I hit that earlier too. You can also see them attempting to shut over him repeatedly. Lol.
 

BouncyFrag

Member
Peebee Loyalty Mission Small Spoilers/Animation Stuff:

If you take Drack with you to the Volcano, the restraints can't fit over him so the sound will keep looping haha

Not sure if intentional or not, but it was a nice touch.
I just did that and was happy he
didn't die in the crash, lol.
 
So I've heard that Sloane was the protagonist of a MEA novel, which seems...weird to me? Like I haven't finished the Kadara questline yet, but every time I've interacted with Sloane, she's come off as shitty, unlikable and not especially nuanced. How did she carry a novel?
 

Stiler

Member
The side quest on Eos where you end up fighting an architect keeps glitching out on me. It keeps getting stuck in the air. Multiple times now.

I had the same issue, in order to solve it you need to make sure that when you load your game do NOT load the "autosave" for it, you have to load a manual save, at least that's what worked for me and some others w/ that issue.
 

link4117

Member
Man, I hate how a lot of the criticisms about this game kind end back at "this isn't the original Mass Effect trilogy" There's a lot of valid complaints that no one's arguing like the animation jank, the writing, etc.

What I hate is stuff like "ME was about character creation and being an avatar for the player!" Ok, maybe it was but that's not this game. This is a game with Ryder being an established person, much like how you are Geralt in The Witcher. It's a different game from the trilogy, why can't they change the formula a bit? It just so happens to be set in the ME universe. Or like "Shep would have done x" or "Ryder isn't even a leader"... Well yeah, they're trying to tell a different story here.

Sorry for the rant, I was just reading at a few online boards and there's just a ton of complaints that boil down to "I miss my Shepard" or "It should have just been Mass Effect 4". Don't get me wrong, they didn't nail everything, but there's also nothing wrong with changing up main character a bit. That said the improved character creator will be nice :x
 
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