ME:A doesn't even belong in the same list as the rest in my opinion. Easily the worst of the series.
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Mass Effect: Andromeda |OT| Ryders on the Storm
- Thread starter Blue Ninja
- Start date
ME:A doesn't even belong in the same list as the rest in my opinion. Easily the worst of the series.
Sterling's_Gold
Member
A big problem with this game that is accumulating the more I play is that there are too many npcs/quest givers to talk to. It's all quantity>quality. Almost none of these characters are memorable whatsoever. The dialogue options only allow you to engage with them on a basic surface level. It's all exposition delivered in a boring way along with the constant "why did you come to andromeda" question. It doesn't help that none of these people have memorable visual designs or voices. I've talked to like 100 characters and none of them have 1/10 the personality of side characters from ME1-3 like Conrad Verner, Khalisah al-Jilani, Gianna Parasini, Lorik Qui'in, the big stupid jellyfish, etc. I'm not even bringing in more prominent side characters like Aria or Udina.
I don't know why Bioware insisted on making Mass Effect into a game with 100+hrs of content. So much of it is superfluous and the high volume of everything--specifically quests and characters-- prevents 90% of it from having any real depth.
I don't know why Bioware insisted on making Mass Effect into a game with 100+hrs of content. So much of it is superfluous and the high volume of everything--specifically quests and characters-- prevents 90% of it from having any real depth.
Weirdly, I didn't like this during the 10 hour trial having been a huge fan of the original trilogy - but now having bought the game and starting again as Sara Ryder t's much more enjoyable. Maybe I was rushing before because I knew it was 10 hours, or maybe it's because I actually designed my own Sara instead of using the default Scott from before and now it feels much more personal.
Anyway, this is the Sara I decided to use, and for me it looks good in game (and doesn't have the punchable face that default Sara does):
https://masseffectarchives.com/#user/2295351348/playthrough/933553110/gender/female
Anyway, this is the Sara I decided to use, and for me it looks good in game (and doesn't have the punchable face that default Sara does):
https://masseffectarchives.com/#user/2295351348/playthrough/933553110/gender/female
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Drack is so goddamn great.
In terms of combat, it's shaping up to be my favourite. Haven't touched the story campaign yet but I imagine ME1 is still king in the story department.
ScientificPizza
Banned
I just wish there was a way to walk instead of sprinting all through the Nexus
I haven't found the animation quite as distracting as the movement
I haven't found the animation quite as distracting as the movement
ScaryShark
Banned
ME:A doesn't even belong in the same list as the rest in my opinion. Easily the worst of the series.
It's not an entire galaxy. It's 1 star cluster. You know those systems you could visit in previous games from the galaxy map? The entirety of Andromeda is set in just 1 of those.
Mass Effect does have FTL technology. That's how you zipped around in your space ship between clusters. You need the Mass Relays to move between clusters, and Me:A is all set in one cluster.
(FTL does still rely on the mass effect though).
Just highlights my sheer disappointment...
The slowness of the galaxy map grew on me a bit even though the zoom in/zoom out is still pretty jarring. I really like the idea of the Scourge and seeing stuff like that giant black hole as you wrap around.
Though seriously, that black hole...I would be kinda terrified to settle in a galaxy with that at the center, lol.
Though seriously, that black hole...I would be kinda terrified to settle in a galaxy with that at the center, lol.
Well yeah, been playing ME: A for few days now...and it is a disappointment for sure. It gets better after the really bad first few hours, but I just don't have any special feeling for anything in the game. Locations are ok but nothing amazing, come on we are in a new galaxy and this is the most alien you can get? I mean the first few planets you visit are pretty much (minor location style spoiler)
The story is not really anything special either but it is ok I guess - however the writing is like many have said previously is absolutely B-grade most of the time.
New aliens - huge dissappointment. And why the hell are the most interesting existing ones like Hanar, Elcor etc. totally sidetracked again? Instead we get this stupid Twi'lek-like race.
The sci-fi scene in gaming would really need a shake-up - in the space opera genre it might take a while but at least Cyberpunk 2077 is coming eventually.
Tatooine and Hoth...
The story is not really anything special either but it is ok I guess - however the writing is like many have said previously is absolutely B-grade most of the time.
New aliens - huge dissappointment. And why the hell are the most interesting existing ones like Hanar, Elcor etc. totally sidetracked again? Instead we get this stupid Twi'lek-like race.
The sci-fi scene in gaming would really need a shake-up - in the space opera genre it might take a while but at least Cyberpunk 2077 is coming eventually.
Sterling's_Gold
Member
So what does everyone think of the new dialogue system?
At first I though it was cool, as it seemed like it could have more nuance and better roleplaying than the previous games. Also, I liked that the four tones were kind of like different Star Trek captains.
The more I play however, it seems like the old system was better. Mass Effect has never had the most in depth roleplaying, but at least paragon and renegade were distinctly different choices. Now it seems like whatever I choose doesn't matter at all. People don't seem to react to my Ryder being logical a lot of the time. Or being casual instead of professional. You could say that the choices are just there for roleplaying, but they are still lacking from that perspective. Most of the time you are either choosing between emotional/logical or simply casual/professional. It just ends up feeling like two or sometimes four different ways to say the same thing. Removing paragon and renegade may be more realistic, as that system was mostly just a holdover form KotOR/Jade Empire, but in removing it, Bioware has stripped all of the "renegade" type of choice from the game. It becomes kind of boring when you can never really be very aggressive/assertive/cruel/etc.
I've also been let down at the lack of interesting dilemmas/big narrative choices so far. I've probably played about 25 hrs or so and the only decision worth mentioning was how to handle the
. And even that didn't really seem to matter much (maybe it will come into play later?).
At first I though it was cool, as it seemed like it could have more nuance and better roleplaying than the previous games. Also, I liked that the four tones were kind of like different Star Trek captains.
The more I play however, it seems like the old system was better. Mass Effect has never had the most in depth roleplaying, but at least paragon and renegade were distinctly different choices. Now it seems like whatever I choose doesn't matter at all. People don't seem to react to my Ryder being logical a lot of the time. Or being casual instead of professional. You could say that the choices are just there for roleplaying, but they are still lacking from that perspective. Most of the time you are either choosing between emotional/logical or simply casual/professional. It just ends up feeling like two or sometimes four different ways to say the same thing. Removing paragon and renegade may be more realistic, as that system was mostly just a holdover form KotOR/Jade Empire, but in removing it, Bioware has stripped all of the "renegade" type of choice from the game. It becomes kind of boring when you can never really be very aggressive/assertive/cruel/etc.
I've also been let down at the lack of interesting dilemmas/big narrative choices so far. I've probably played about 25 hrs or so and the only decision worth mentioning was how to handle the
kett base
ColonialRaptor
Member
Anyone else on PC having a redist error when they try to install using Origin? It's happening because I've already got that C++ package installed apparently. This is seriously annoying.
Change your active quest. The game will autosave, and you're able to manually save if you want, then switch back to your original quest. This is how you save during priority missions.
Fakeknowledge
Member
About to begin. Where can I find some custom ryders?
That's dumb as crap.
Fakeknowledge
Member
Thanks
Hey I agree, but at least there's a way of doing it.
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
My preorder code has already been used..fuck this! Game is going on the shelve!
His Majesty
Banned
Oh wow, thanks. I am dying a lot so this will come in handy.
If you can get past some of the animations & writing, it's a lot better than what the reviews would make you believe. Haven't met any sort of awful glitch so far on my side either.
GGNKovalski
Member
I'm really enjoying it. The combat is really fun and the worlds are gorgeous. There are some weird animations and some missteps with the writing but nothing too major (IMO but I am still early in).
Depends on your expectations. If you the impression you get is that the game is an unmitigated mess, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised. If you're hoping for the next iteration of the series up to the standards of the original trilogy, you'll likely be disappointed.
In short, they drastically improved on things that the series either screwed up or walked away from, but tanked and fucked up on things the series was pretty good at or praised for. A very strange game in this regard.
Ultimately, question is whether the gifs you have seen would make you hate the game while playing it. They're not as prevalent as the gifs suggest though, aside from the lack of facial animation on humans (oddly, its there for some of the aliens).
Papercuts said:
That black hole is perhaps the biggest missed opportunity in this game. You could have had the plot center around it. Sequences near the Accretion Disk. Would have been more interesting that the re-heated ancient alien tech.
semiconscious
Member
mass effect: written & created by young adults, for young adults. it's what it is, & i'm okay with it
....
Familienoberhauptvogel
Banned
ME2>ME3=MEA>ME1 for me.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Inherently divisive with strong evidence of muddled production.
It's desperately trying to shed trilogy baggage and embark on an entirely new journey and tell its own story, effectively acting as a soft reboot, yet feels too straddled to tropes and homages of the trilogy instead of legitimately investing in its own premise in the most comprehensive, committed way.
It takes huge steps towards a more mobile, versatile, and agency based combat system across wide open play space that the series hasn't seen anything like since the very original Mass Effect. It feels and looks satisfying to move, explore, and shoot. Yet it loses the tight corridor encounter design of the trilogy, the significantly reduced NPC control diminishes team synergy and usefulness.
The narrative and cast seed interesting plot points and developments (so far, I'm not finish), explore some interesting ideas that the trilogy did not, but as per the first point do feel noncommittal to the premise, and is lacking a strong overarching theme to drive the plot. It's disaster, but not enough to have presence. It's exploration, but distracted by character drama. It's a character piece, but hours can be spent meandering. It's like a hundred ideas and premises existed, and they're there and tied together well enough, the drive core is missing.
Mission and quest design is divisive. Some hate it. Others like it. Personally I feel even the heaviest criticism misses the point of them, and unfairly chastises a design that is reminiscent of Horizon, The Witcher 3, and others. Quest structure is basic and involved with a lot of detective vision and check listing, exactly like those games. What gives them purpose is narrative context. Whether or not that context matters to you, if you care about the planets and the stories behind them, or the extensive cast and their journey, is another matter entirely.
Production is muddied. Animation isn't as bad as some make it out to be (in my opinion), but is more lacking in emotional nuance. Eyebrows are too often stilted, eyes are dead; and these are windows to expressiveness. What could otherwise be a fine exchange can be, at worst, robotic and soulless. It's an unusual absence, like it's missing something, characters written and performed in ways faces don't always express. It's fixable; but whether or not it will be I do not know.
Music is okay, but unusually disconnected. Random planet ambience is moody and welcome, but the soundtrack has no presence.
I like the game. I think it's a lot of fun. I like the setting, the premise, and a lot of the ideas they're playing with. I don't feel it's executed (so far) with the strength the trilogy often had. I don't think it has the laser focus required for immediate investment. I feel the investment pays off the more you play, but it's a slow burn, and even then I can appreciate some people just not enjoying what's on offer. I wish it was more original towards its premise and setting, and less straddled by ideas that it seems the team felt defined Mass Effect but I don't feel actually do. But it still does well enough with those ideas anyway.
It could be better. It could be much worse. It's a good video game, so far.
Ah, that's a shame to hear. I don't think I've really heard anyone directly talk about the Black Hole yet either, just have it alluded to being a partial cover for Aya and some planet flavor text near it along with some codex entries. It's so prominent when you're looking around that I would think people trying to settle in here would be more concerned, especially since I would imagine that showed up in their initial readings of the area.
Black Holes are always one of my favorite space related topics though. They're absolutely terrifying.
Yankee Ruin X
Member
Stuck about 7 hours into last night and I am somewhat disappointed. I'll play through it in the hopes it gets better but it feels like a big step back from previous entries. My main issues are down to character models, animation and story/dialogue so far. I loved Mass Effect 1-3 mainly for the story, the galaxy it created and the characters.
Character models are terrible. I rocked Fem-Shep through Mass Effect 1-3 so went straight to the customisation options for Fem-Ryder. I spent about an hour playing around with the sliders trying to make a character I was happy with but they all looked goofy in some way. I eventually gave up and went with the Default Fem-Ryder thinking that the devs might have done a better job then me not knowing what she actually looked like until I saw her for the first time in my game. She looks ridiculous, has these big puffy hamster cheeks and weird lips that I just can't take her seriously in cutscenes with.
Animation is terrible in cutscenes and even in gameplay I see characters floating in mid air fighting before glitching back into the play area.
Story/dialogue is somewhat laughable when combined with the previous two complaints. Another gripe I have is character voices don't seem to fit the character models. Like the Krogan female you meet, her voice for me does not at all fit what you would imagine a Krogan female to sound like and it really throws me off.
I'm gutted, I really wanted ME:A to be the start of the next gen of Mass Effect but it just does not feel like a AAA game at all to me.
Character models are terrible. I rocked Fem-Shep through Mass Effect 1-3 so went straight to the customisation options for Fem-Ryder. I spent about an hour playing around with the sliders trying to make a character I was happy with but they all looked goofy in some way. I eventually gave up and went with the Default Fem-Ryder thinking that the devs might have done a better job then me not knowing what she actually looked like until I saw her for the first time in my game. She looks ridiculous, has these big puffy hamster cheeks and weird lips that I just can't take her seriously in cutscenes with.
Animation is terrible in cutscenes and even in gameplay I see characters floating in mid air fighting before glitching back into the play area.
Story/dialogue is somewhat laughable when combined with the previous two complaints. Another gripe I have is character voices don't seem to fit the character models. Like the Krogan female you meet, her voice for me does not at all fit what you would imagine a Krogan female to sound like and it really throws me off.
I'm gutted, I really wanted ME:A to be the start of the next gen of Mass Effect but it just does not feel like a AAA game at all to me.
Clearly didn't find the right path #pathfinderstruggles
The Dude
Member
Thanks for the writeup, helps me really see what is what here and gives me more hope going in. Here's my question, in among the negative posts I see at times where people are saying it's not AAA, or where folks say they can't yet past animations, writing etc... Do you feel deep down that they are legitimate reasons to totally disregard or dislike this game, or is it your opinion that the dislike id a tad overblown to where those issues arent the best but they aren't the absolute worst either?
Reason I ask is because there are 2 sort of parties here with this game, ones who are finding enjoyment and ones who are wanting refunds and to be rid of it, so I'm tryin to understand for the sake of conversation if both sides have merit or if the dislike as I said above is simply a little overblown? Because there is a pretty apparent gap between the two groups of players with this game.
Why would they be concerned though? It's just another gravity well, just much denser. Things that orbit around it will orbit just like they do around a star, just because it's visible doesn't mean they are near the event horizon nor does it mean it'll start acting weird or something, the stuff around the black hole (systems//stars/planets) have already adapted to its presence so it's life as normal. I mean we have a supermassive black hole in the centre of our galaxy, our planet is revolving around a giant ball of gas that's been burning for billions of years which will eventually run out and become a red supergiant and then it'll become a tiny dwarf star, and our galaxy will eventually collide with Andromeda in a few billion years...we're not really concerned are we?
In contrast that a black hole will be there for a longer time.
Freeman76
Member
The way I see it the performance is pretty bad, the animations are crap, yet the game is fun.
For me they're overblown. If you can overlook some of the graphical jank and just take it as it is, you'll have a good time and get plenty of life out of it.
SolicitorPirate
Member
Are there any missables in the game? I just did the first vault, and my teammates yelled about a chance to grab something, but I ran out before I could
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Small Eos question, no spoilers ... how long does it take for the radiation in the planet to disappear ?
I see a lot of quest markers behind lv 3 radiation zones where I die pretty much instantly. Is it gated by time or story ? or did I miss something on Eos itself to speed it up ?
I see a lot of quest markers behind lv 3 radiation zones where I die pretty much instantly. Is it gated by time or story ? or did I miss something on Eos itself to speed it up ?