Mass Effect: Andromeda (Xbox One X) - Gameplay
0Welcome to Game Play. A series, of sorts, where I check out various video games and share my experiences with you.
Today we're taking a look at Mass Effect: Andromeda (Xbox One X).
So. Let's talk a bit about Mass Effect: Andromeda. First things first: I completely understand the critical points that have been made against the game since its release. Andromeda isn't exactly a great game, but is it a terrible one?
Well. The answer is no. At least not in my opinion. Keep in mind that I don't think it's a great game, but it's not terrible either. In terms of gameplay, I believe the game was "betrayed", in lack of better words, by the Frostbite Engine. It's not a great engine for RPG's of any sort, and to be honest I think it was a miracle that Dragon Age: Inquisition turned out the way it did.
But Mass Effect was also betrayed by the studio's own vision, or lack of coherent vision. It seems that Andromeda was the result of a studio locked up in management changes and directions. It seems that the developers, at some point, lost sense of what they were trying to create. This shows in the final product.
Those are my main issues with the game: the (forced by EA) use of Frostbite Engine wasn't the best decision, and the game lacks both a coherent vision and direction.
So what are the good stuff? Well, I actually enjoy the story and the new races. The Angara are interesting enough to keep me playing, and I like the idea of leaving Earth behind as a desperate attempt to rescue the established races from complete destruction should Commander Shepard fail in ME3.
I love the idea of being adventurers in a foreign part of space. Setting up camps and preparing the worlds for us to establish a new life. As a player, I feel important as the Pathfinder, and as the game progresses I feel more enveloped in the struggle to create a new home.
I think the story and plot are well-told, if you can look past the (still to this day) pretty bad animations. The voice-acting is solid, however, so it is a bit more easy to look past the animations.
The companions are back, offering a variety of gameplay choices, tactics and interactions. I haven't found the "go-to team" yet, since I'm still trying to relate to my followers, but they do grow on me. Slow but steady they grow on me. For this playthrough I chose Ja'al and Peebee and it turns out that they're absolutely wonderful together. They take jabs at each other and showcase genuine interest in one another. I wholly enjoy their interactions, so I might let them be a part of the team for some time to come.
So. In conclusion, Mass Effect: Andromeda isn't the greatest game, but it's not the worst either. I do get the sense of playing a Mass Effect game, so it nails the sensation and feeling of the series. But you won't be able to enjoy it if you can't look past its, admittedly, numerous flaws. If you can, then you might be in for a treat. I'm enjoying it so far, and I've clocked in more than 35 hours at this point.
The game was recorded on Xbox One X directly to an external hard drive. It was recorded in 4K and no post-work or edit has been done.
Update: for some reason, YouTube isn't showing the video in 4K as of writing this. However, I believe it will be fixed in a few hours or so.