Gamesplanet Review Round Up: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Exploring another Galaxy and visiting New Worlds
It's been 5 years since Mass Effect 3 released, but after some delays the next entry into the series has been released as Mass Effect: Andromeda takes us to a brand new galaxy and introduces larger worlds for us to discover. You play the role of the Pathfinder, as you wake up 600 years on a journey to the Andromeda Galaxy where your mission is to setup a new home for your colony and protect it at all costs. The series has always been known for creating epic moments in a Sci-Fi universe and BioWare are keen to remind us just what we've been missing in the last few years.
After a disappointing Mass Effect 3, can the series be rebooted and given a new lease of life? Let's take a look at the next entry in the Mass Effect series by looking at what the critics had to say on it.
Let's make a Sand Castle.
Blasting us into orbit is the review from PC Gamer who awarded the game 80 out of 100. Andromeda serves as a reboot to the series and a welcome back party at the same time, it's clear that the series taking time away has allowed the memory of Mass Effect 3 to simmer. While the game doesn't have deep connections to the original trilogy, the setup begins during the events of Mass Effect 2 and you're set on a 600 year journey to find the Andromeda galaxy. The opening moments involve you awaking from cryo sleep, but soon after that events take an unexpected turn and you're heading to your first planet where some new aliens are causing trouble. Speaking of planets, Andromeda will offer up plenty of new worlds to set foot and explore either on foot or with the brand new Nomad land vehicle, which doubles as a scanner and can jump/boost terrain. You'll explore moonlit alien jungles and uncover vast ancient starships on blistering desert worlds. Large interior and exterior spaces can be explored without loading screens, which means no more interminable elevator rides.
The Escapist is next up to share their thoughts on BioWare's latest Sci-Fi space romp. As with previous games in series you will meet up with new characters and team up with various aliens as you fight back against a new enemy, each one will have their own distinct personality (and yes most of them can be romanced for space fun). For the first time though we're given Loyalty missions which offer a way to go on side missions with your squad to learn more about them, one example is Peebee (who you meet early on) who has to track down Remnant tech. Quests aren't merely throwaway as you can expect to travel to various worlds in order to move things along and build a relationship with her that improves your bond with her. The loyalty quests are probably the high point of the game, in fact, even though at times they feel like they've been stretched out to make them seem more meaningful. It was given an impressive 3.5 out of 5, if you've enjoyed the series so far then you're likely going to enjoy Andromeda too.
Check out my new Jump Jets!
Moving on we've got IGN's review, who gave the game 7.7 out of 10. Combat is a big thing in the series and Andromeda raises the bar by offering you new jump jets that allow you to boost to higher areas or strike down enemies from above, plus it's useful for solving new jumping puzzles - which offers a chance of pace from the fighting. Cover also makes a return, but unlike previous entries it can feel a little stiff and doesn't offer the protection you deserve. That said you've still got a huge selection of powers that you can adapt with, for the first time ever the game gives you "Profiles" which are customisable sets of powers that you can swap on the fly to give you an edge in battle. Your combat powers are, as usual, unlocked through dumping points into a skill tree, but this radically different class system is almost ridiculously flexible compared to previous Mass Effects and most other RPGs. You no longer select a class at the outset, but can choose from nearly any of several dozen diverse skills across three specialties: biotics, tech, and combat.
Rounding us out are Game Informer, like Mass Effect 3 the game also offers up a Multiplayer mode. You'll work together with human controlled players in squads of 4 are you tackle wave based enemy combat. It's pretty much the same as you're used to, but this time you're able to customise powers, weapons and even try out various different classes which can be unlocked either with credits or by purchasing packs (groan). It uses the same combat fundamentals as single-player, but like Mass Effect 3, it has more directed progression thanks to predetermined power sets. This keeps the action distilled to moment-by-moment survival as you fight off waves of increasingly difficult foes, ideally communicating with a team of capable squadmates. We're still not sure what the future holds for the Multiplayer and as with most games, a steady stream of content will be important to keep it active. Apex missions should offer new challenges and the first one of these has already dropped that will let players group up to tackle a mission together. They scored it a high rating of 8 out of 10.
Don't look down!
Seems like the game has received some mixed reviews, most can agree though it's a good game and does offer a return to the series that's been missing for 5 years. While things like animations, cheesy dialogue and lackluster quests may damper the experience for some people it's not likely to hurt the overall experience (especially if you're a fan). After spending several hours with the game now I was impressed with how familiar it felt, while at the same time also offering new ways to play. Combat has been given a new lease of life and it feels like the best in the series, I can't deny that the added jump jets have opened up new ways to tackle enemies by getting the drop on them or finding a new area with hidden supplies.
It's true that this month has been a big month for games (especially open world), and while we may be spoiled for choice it's very easy to recommend this title for fans of the series or even newcomers who are interested in a Sci-Fi adventure. Yes the game does have some issues but you can easily look past those and just have a fun time exploring the galaxy, it's unclear how the rest of the game will progress for me but I am just as excited to find out as I was playing the previous entries in the franchise.
While some people had some concerns with Mass Effect 3, I personally enjoyed my time with it and found it to be fun. Though Mass Effect 2 will always be the highlight of the series, Andromeda is shaping up to be a worthy candidate for my second favourite. Previous games have also featured some cringe worthy dialogue too, but you know what? You just roll with it and accept it for a cheesy Sci-Fi adventure that it is. There's good and bad in all games, focus on just enjoying your time with it!
Head into space and travel to Andromeda yourself!
- Standard Edition - £43.99 (12% off)
– Craig Bishop