are you going to buy mass effect andromeda?

[SlumlordThanatos]

As it stands now...I'm still torn. I certainly won't be buying it on day 1, but I'm still going to keep an eye on the reviews. If the reviews and popular opinion don't drive me away, and maybe if Bioware decides to give the face and conversation animations another once-over, I may get it a little further down the road.

But from where I'm standing, it looks like the Bioware of old is dead, and isn't coming back.

 

[Jandau]

No, I will not, at least not anytime soon.

Having read a number of articles from various sources, both positive and negative, I feel I've gotten a reasonably decent picture of what the game is like and what I could get out of it.

It boils down to it being a solid space opera shooter, with writing that varies between mediocre and laughably bad. It's got tonnes of content, but also a truckload of bugs. It's not a terrible game, but it's hardly a standout for the series, the genre or the recent months. While I'm sure I'd have fun shooting at generic rubber forehead aliens with my space magic and whatnot, there is just too much good stuff to play that Andromeda will get pushed aside, maybe to be picked up on sale with all its DLC or something...

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

Absolutely. I may take against it (especially if it repeats the BS filler nonsense and 'exploration' DA:I pulled), but what other character focused triple-A production SP A/RPG sci-fi epic is there to buy instead? There are none. BioWare are still doing things no one else does--- *pause for variously moronic 'witticisms'/snark* ---and so as long as that's the case they'll have my cash.

If a company offered them direct competition, then great. But, again, there isn't any. You can't blame BioWare for that, you blame the rest of the oftentimes dumbass industry.

It's not a terrible game, but it's hardly a standout for the series, the genre or the recent months.

What is the series "standout", though? Some say ME1 for the plot or, apparently, the awful and cluttered RPG 'depth'. Others say ME2, but that's a game that could've only existed after the universe was set up, so comparing ME:A to what amounts to a kind of soft reboot/offshoot isn't very fair.

Personally whilst ME2 is my sentimental ME fave, I think ME3 wipes the floor with 1 and 2 in terms of overall cohesion, quality, polish, gameplay, etc. On those counts I feel it's the best game BioWare have ever made, but, again, it's impossible to directly compare that - which was a game that built a rich continuity over a trilogy - to ME:A, which represents a clean slate. It is, however, fair to compare the core combat (which I don't think's ever been great in ME. ME3 was the most polished and responsive, ergo it 'wins' by default), and I've heard both very good as well as some negative things about it.

And regarding genre; what genre? Triple-A SP A/RPG sci-fi with a focus on character narrative? Did I miss a shedload of other games in that genre?

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

So i went and watched about 90 minutes of the game and yeah, the faces arent as weird as the nitpicked gifs/videos show (obviously), but still, 10 years later and it's on the same level?

Anyway, now i have a different problem though. The characters look short, like kids with adult heads. And i didn't see an option to punch npcs during conversations. Sad.

 

[BaronVH]

For those that have played it: Do you fly all the way to another galaxy where the aliens magically speak English, or do we get something a little more intelligent?

 

[hermes]

Eventually.

I have to say what I have seen makes me question it, specially when released in one of the busies march I can remember (Persona 5, Nier, Zelda, Horizon), that makes a mediocre game seem redundant, even when carrying the Mass Effect name.

But I would not deny it once it gets into a more open season, or a more interesting price.

 

[Dalisclock]

First reviews are dropping and so far it's still pretty mixed. Generally postive but one thing that bothers me is that most of them say that a lot of the content seems like filler. Hell, a couple are saying that the main missions are kinda boring. Both of those are making me feel like this isn't something I'm really gonna care for. Maybe once it drops down to like 20 or 30 bucks, I might give it a shot but the "Lots O'Filler" thing is exactly why I don't like to play open world games much these days.

 

[Cold Shiny]

Horizon Zero Dawn? Total bore.

Nier Automata? Puhlease.

Zelda BOTW? As if.

A broken, buggy, ugly sequel to a franchise that should have ended? SIGN ME UP!!!!

 

[Danbo Jambo]

First reviews are dropping and so far it's still pretty mixed. Generally postive but one thing that bothers me is that most of them say that a lot of the content seems like filler. Hell, a couple are saying that the main missions are kinda boring. Both of those are making me feel like this isn't something I'm really gonna care for. Maybe once it drops down to like 20 or 30 bucks, I might give it a shot the "Lots O'Filler" thing is exactly why I don't like to play open world games much these days.

I loved Dragon Age Origins with a passion, detested DA:2 but played a significant amount of hours in the hope it'd get better, and was utterly repulsed by Inquisition so much that I probably played 4-5 hours max.

If I do buy it I'm not planning on buying it until a year or two down the line when it's in the bargain bucket, but even then that will hang on to how similar it is to DA:I. If I hear it's structured & setup the same I won't bother at all.

 

[Majestic Manatee_v1legacy]

I get all AAA sci-fi games on release. Jank notwithstanding.

 

[Jandau]

And regarding genre; what genre? Triple-A SP A/RPG sci-fi with a focus on character narrative? Did I miss a shedload of other games in that genre?

Genre as in either RPG (and it's a pretty bad RPG, by most accounts) or Third Person Shooter (in which case it's solid, but unspectacular).

If you think the game is exactly what you want, go for it, have fun. I'm guessing that you and I have somewhat different tastes, seeing as how you rate ME3 as the best in the series. But again, I hope the game is all you want it to be. I'll be sitting this one out for now.

 

[Catfood220]

On launch. No, I am still playing Horizon and there are other games that I want to play before this. I have read some reviews which give it mediocre marks, plus all the videos out there saying its full of bugs. I'll give it 6 months to a year to pick it up by which time it should be pretty cheap, all patched up and it'll give me something I'll probably enjoy to play.

EA can take the financial hit I'm sure.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

Genre as in either RPG (and it's a pretty bad RPG, by most accounts) or Third Person Shooter (in which case it's solid, but unspectacular).

But would you agree there isn't actually any direct competition in terms of what ME's offer? It's always been a worse RPG and 3rdP shooter than games dedicated to either.

But again, I hope the game is all you want it to be. I'll be sitting this one out for now.

Cora's apparently straightsville and the Nomad's still probably too much like the Mako, so I doubt it'll be all I want... See also: probably a second rubbish BioWare antagonist in a row.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Eventually I am. No point at the minute because I have neither a PC good enough to play it nor a console to play it on. But I am definitely going to get it at some point. I really fell in love with the Mass Effect games when I finally got the chance to play them so I'm not going to pass up a chance to play some more.

 

[Zeras]

I'm loving the demo so far (I pick up the game tomorrow); to me it combines the best parts of ME 1 with the improvements of ME 2/3 - the exploration alone is getting me excited to get the full game! [And the fact that we don't have to deal with fuel, and that the new species - in the demo - don't have a translator to speak with].

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Probably not for a long time if ever. The first three games got progressively worse and really burnt me out on the franchise. Plus this one looks... not good. I have really limited time for games nowadays and those animations, voice acting, and general woodenness don't encourage me to sink dozens of hour into it. I'll spend the money on Nier instead.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

And regarding genre; what genre? Triple-A SP A/RPG sci-fi with a focus on character narrative? Did I miss a shedload of other games in that genre?

I agree with this. There's very few actual RPGs being made as very few actually focus on ROLE-PLAYING. The "RPG elements" aren't what make an RPG but what enhance the core role-playing, which pretty much every video game RPG forgets about (even the likes of Witcher 3). Leveling, inventory, acquiring new skills/abilities, new weapons/gear, etc aren't what makes an RPG. Does DnD cease being an RPG if you start at max level with any and all equipment you want? Hell no because you are still role-playing the character. You can take out the triple-A and sci-fi aspect of the "genre" and there still are hardly any games that fit in.

With that said, this is want makes me the most worried about Andromeda...

Generally postive but one thing that bothers me is that most of them say that a lot of the content seems like filler. Hell, a couple are saying that the main missions are kinda boring. Both of those are making me feel like this isn't something I'm really gonna care for.

That is exactly what I was worried about. I want quality over quantity in any game I play and especially RPGs, which are really the worst with padding and filler IMO. I want a solid and lean Mass Effect game like the previous games that can be completed in 30 hours. I don't want sidequests that aren't on the level of loyalty missions.

Coming back around to Darth Rosenberg's post. Yeah, Andromeda is one of the very few games of its kind we get but I'm not going to put up with shit either just because it's the only option either.

 

[Erttheking]

The concept interests me, but I'm going to wait for the dust to settle and for people to stop freaking the fuck out over everything, and probably wait until it goes on sale. Unless I hear it really sucks from people that I personally trust.

Even then, I might just decide that there's too much bitterness surrounding Mass Effect now for me to get back into it. I don't need that shit in my life right now.

 

[Jandau]

Genre as in either RPG (and it's a pretty bad RPG, by most accounts) or Third Person Shooter (in which case it's solid, but unspectacular).

But would you agree there isn't actually any direct competition in terms of what ME's offer? It's always been a worse RPG and 3rdP shooter than games dedicated to either.

But again, I hope the game is all you want it to be. I'll be sitting this one out for now.

Cora's apparently straightsville and the Nomad's still probably too much like the Mako, so I doubt it'll be all I want... See also: probably a second rubbish BioWare antagonist in a row.

The specific sub-niche that ME:A fills is indeed a bit empty, so if that specific combination of themes and genres is an itch that you just have to scratch, Andromeda would be your best bet, I'll grant that. As for it being worse than dedicated games, I'm going to have to disagree. ME1 was a solid RPG with good writing and amazing worldbuilding, with dodgy shooting. ME2's overall story was a step back, but the individual character storylines were awesome, while the shooting was IMO the best of the series. ME3 was a hot mess, at least to me.

Also, why is Cora being straight a problem? I mean, I heard something about people being pissed about that, but I couldn't see what the issue was...

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

That is exactly what I was worried about. I want quality over quantity in any game I play and especially RPGs, which are really the worst with padding and filler IMO. I want a solid and lean Mass Effect game like the previous games that can be completed in 30 hours. I don't want sidequests that aren't on the level of loyalty missions.

Coming back around to Darth Rosenberg's post. Yeah, Andromeda is one of the very few games of its kind we get but I'm not going to put up with shit either just because it's the only option either.

I mentioned a dislike of filler at the top of my post, so yeah, I agree with that concern. ME2 and 3 were, I feel, paced and structured wonderfully.

But given how distinct BioWare's offerings are, I do have a high tolerance for negatives (nothing is perfect, after all). Hell, I put a few hundred hours onto DA:I, after all[footnote]Though, mini disclaimer: I started out on the utterly risible, broken, half-finished wreck that was the last gen version, which I practically detested. Took current gen, the Golden Nug, Trespasser, and an appreciation of just how much you can ignore of DA:I's filler for me to actually really enjoy it - puddle shallow combat aside.[/footnote]...

As for it being worse than dedicated games, I'm going to have to disagree. ME1 was a solid RPG with good writing and amazing worldbuilding, with dodgy shooting. ME2's overall story was a step back, but the individual character storylines were awesome, while the shooting was IMO the best of the series. ME3 was a hot mess, at least to me.

Definitely agree to disagree on that assessment (to you 2's story was a step back - for me that was perfect because it allowed the world and characters to shine, away from fairly bland 'invasion' narratives).

Also, why is Cora being straight a problem? I mean, I heard something about people being pissed about that, but I couldn't see what the issue was...

It denies the player choice, and I don't see a single character in BioWare's SP line-up (from KotOR on) whose story necessitates a fixed orientation of any kind.

RPG's are there to embolden player choice, right? And given BioWare's fairly narrow role-playing parameters, that means every single possible building block of a projected role becomes very important. Romance arcs in such games can be an important part of an RP. Fix characters orientations, and you simply close down choices at the gain of nothing, in my view. Allow players to make their RPG playthroughs as straight/gay/bi/whatever as they wish.

Cora evidently joins the list of Ashley Williams, Jack, Miranda, and DA:I's Cassandra as what I feel are great female party members 'off limits' for a female lead, and frankly I'm getting a little tired of it (particularly as FemShep's choices for men were, frankly, almost exclusively boring as fuck). Would any of those character arcs change meaningfully if they were available for both male and female Shep's? If not, then what has that design decision added to the RPG experience?