I would recommend this game purely for the combat and guns/armor. I did feel disappointed with the story in the end, but it does have some of the best character work. Worth $12 easy.
After reading through a few pages of this thread, I'm apprehensive to pick up Andromeda. I was fully out of the loop when it was released, though I'd heard various complaints about the game. I know they released a few patches to try and fix some issues but I never followed what those were.
Some games, for me, I'm totally cool to say "it's not worth buying at full price, but at X% off I'll definitely pick it up." Is Andromeda one of those games at $12 or is it a full pass at any price?
Eh, it's not a "this game is so terrible, I think it gave me cancer" title. It's just, IMO, pretty mediocre, and especially disappointing compared to what came before. Most of the complaints, mine included, are that it's half-baked all around. Story, gameplay, etc. Some people can look past the myriad flaws (or not see them as flaws) and have a good time with it, others can't.
In any event, I think $12 is more than a fair price for it. And, for me, I think that almost any game is worth trying once. I've certainly enjoyed games others have panned, and if I can recommend people playing Final Fantasy XV at least once (a game I absolutely loathed), I'm more than comfortable telling people to try ME:A.
I really liked the first 1/3 open world part of FF15 and then was so put off by the end of the game, that I haven't played it again since, not even the DLC which I already bought.
0
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
Hmmm, just looked up the synopsis for that book about the Quarian ark, the plot (a bio-weapon threat) sounds a lot less interesting than I was hoping for.
And why do they call the non-humanoid races the 'sundry' races? Arguably one of my favourite things about the Mass Effect Universe is the diversity of sapient species, like the Hanar.
Do most people in the wider fandom just prefer stories about and/or centred around the humanoid species? Boring! I prefer sci-fi that's weirder/more unexpected than that.
I'm only like 70 pages in so I can't speak for the plot yet, but the writer definitely put some thought into how an ark housing several different species would function. I like the characters so far. One of the protagonists is Elcor! It hadn't occurred to me that a Mass Effect book could describe micro-gestures and smells that only Elchor perceive, but of course it can.
Hmmm, just looked up the synopsis for that book about the Quarian ark, the plot (a bio-weapon threat) sounds a lot less interesting than I was hoping for.
And why do they call the non-humanoid races the 'sundry' races? Arguably one of my favourite things about the Mass Effect Universe is the diversity of sapient species, like the Hanar.
Do most people in the wider fandom just prefer stories about and/or centred around the humanoid species? Boring! I prefer sci-fi that's weirder/more unexpected than that.
I'm only like 70 pages in so I can't speak for the plot yet, but the writer definitely put some thought into how an ark housing several different species would function. I like the characters so far. One of the protagonists is Elcor! It hadn't occurred to me that a Mass Effect book could describe micro-gestures and smells that only Elchor perceive, but of course it can.
BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
As much as I personally want them to follow some smaller character stories for the next Mass Effect game, I want them to commit to polishing the exploration elements for a direct sequel to Andromeda. (I also want them to open the announcement with another Johnny Cash track, like, I dunno Redemption Day or something, just to show us how shit's going to get real with the Ryders)
That's a gorgeous ship, but $250 US plus shipping? Too rich for my blood.
I've pondered getting an Apex patch, perhaps for my day to day bag. Had the game in general (and Multiplayer in specific) taken off like ME3's did, the next coin I was pondering getting made was for Apex. I just think it's a pretty badass name/insignia, but I don't think the demand would exist in nearly the same quantities, and challenge coins basically must be arranged in bulk (100-200+) to keep them affordable, at least with the company I've worked with.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Hmmm, just looked up the synopsis for that book about the Quarian ark, the plot (a bio-weapon threat) sounds a lot less interesting than I was hoping for.
And why do they call the non-humanoid races the 'sundry' races? Arguably one of my favourite things about the Mass Effect Universe is the diversity of sapient species, like the Hanar.
Do most people in the wider fandom just prefer stories about and/or centred around the humanoid species? Boring! I prefer sci-fi that's weirder/more unexpected than that.
I'm only like 70 pages in so I can't speak for the plot yet, but the writer definitely put some thought into how an ark housing several different species would function. I like the characters so far. One of the protagonists is Elcor! It hadn't occurred to me that a Mass Effect book could describe micro-gestures and smells that only Elchor perceive, but of course it can.
Apparently he's also a fan of (minorest of minor spoilers, but just to be on the safe side)
a certain elcor edition of a certain play that we all know and love.
His name is also an allusion to that.
And with that, I know this will be a good Mass Effect book.
ME1 is complete. I'm mostly interested in replaying ME2 and 3, so I rushed through 1 and only did a handful of side quests.
Mass Effect is a rough game to go back to. It does an excellent job at establishing a universe and invoking the imaginations of players, but it feels bland in comparison to the sequels.
But that "from the rubble" sequence at the end of the game? Gets me every time. The musical score is perfectly timed and Shepard has the smuggest grin imaginable.
+18
FencingsaxIt is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understandingGNU Terry PratchettRegistered Userregular
The walk along the outside of the Citadel elvator is still one of my favorite moments
ME1 is complete. I'm mostly interested in replaying ME2 and 3, so I rushed through 1 and only did a handful of side quests.
Mass Effect is a rough game to go back to. It does an excellent job at establishing a universe and invoking the imaginations of players, but it feels bland in comparison to the sequels.
But that "from the rubble" sequence at the end of the game? Gets me every time. The musical score is perfectly timed and Shepard has the smuggest grin imaginable.
I wanted to do this my last full series playthrough*, but I found myself too concerned about missing the 30s callback in subsequent games.
*right before playing Andromeda which definitely negatively impacted my opinion of that game.
ME1 is complete. I'm mostly interested in replaying ME2 and 3, so I rushed through 1 and only did a handful of side quests.
Mass Effect is a rough game to go back to. It does an excellent job at establishing a universe and invoking the imaginations of players, but it feels bland in comparison to the sequels.
But that "from the rubble" sequence at the end of the game? Gets me every time. The musical score is perfectly timed and Shepard has the smuggest grin imaginable.
I wanted to do this my last full series playthrough*, but I found myself too concerned about missing the 30s callback in subsequent games.
*right before playing Andromeda which definitely negatively impacted my opinion of that game.
The only mandatory sidequest is on the moon base. It’s not worth it to comb the citidel for keepers just for an e-mail in the next game.
Really digging my time this weekend with Andromeda. I got as far as
pulling a Total Recall on EOS. Drack's intro was awesome. So far he seems like "cookie cutter commando" Krogan guy, but I'm pretty sure he'll have a near permanent slot in my away team. Peebee seems fun, too.
All the characters are great and I'm looking forward to digging into their history and stories and how they fit into the all the Nexus drama. Having fun just running around and exploring, too. The only real bug I've encountered so far is the occasional baddy freezing in place and allowing me to shoot them repeatedly in the head until they die.
I know I was confused about this--the surprising Xbox One X enhancement for Mass Effect Andromeda does, in fact, raise resolution substantially. So anyone who has one, and was looking for an excuse to give Andromeda another try, like me, here's your chance?
It's not all that impressive a visual leap, just bringing it up to the level of the Playstation 4 Pro, but it's something, and performance is a lot more solid apparently.
Off hand, I really enjoyed the loyalty missions in Andromeda. Even for characters I wasn't a fan of, they were solid experiences for the most part. Not flawless, but as good as (or better than) I expected.
The pacing issue of having them potentially separated by 10+ hours of faffing about on various worlds looking for rocks and people's missing jewelry or whatever didn't help it though. I think I sank more hours into ME:A than a combined playthrough time for any 2 previous games, but the peaks were diluted by lengthier times without a goal or purpose. Which is fine for many people, but not the experience I wanted. Even ME1's occasionally annoying 'screw you game, the Mako can totally traverse this nearly vertical knife edge ridge' moment didn't interrupt things quite like that aspect did.
I think one of my larger complaints was actually fixed eventually, with the game updating dialogue options to indicate when new things were available to discuss. I originally decided I wanted to romance
Cora, completed her Loyalty Mission, where things seemed to go pretty well, but then.. she really didn't seem to have anything to add to our connection for a good 10+ hours of gameplay. Conversely, Peebee was like "hey, get in my escape pod, if you know what I mean, no strings attached" and grew on me over time from there. Ended up staying with her through the game, and her own Loyalty Mission got some solid laughs.
It was an interesting experience, in a way the game and characters swayed me from my original intent in a way I appreciated, but it was also facilitated by a remarkably long period between advances in the character connection I wanted to develop, and even longer periods of wandering about random planets fending off the occasional battle and Sudoku challenge.
I'm sure others had this experience as well, I doubt I'm treading a ton of new ground, but whenever I think back to the highlights of that game, even where they were truly immersive and impressive experiences, they also include exacerbating factors around them. Even as someone who didn't really dig into the game for a month or so after release (despite having Early Access and everything, it was a busy time), meaning a lot of the initial rush of fixes and patches had come through (with some solid Quality of Life elements added mid playthrough on top of that), it still struggled with pacing, in part due to the less curated experience presented, at least based on my preferences and expectations (which, again, I don't expect everyone to share).
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
I don't remember who I took on PBs loyalty mission, was there something special about taking Drack along?
The escape pod safety harness doesn't fit krogans.
It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
+10
CambiataCommander ShepardThe likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered Userregular
Basically take Drack everywhere, always worth it.
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
I liked everyone but Liam and Jaal. Liam because he was annoying and wouldn't ever put on a shirt (this is still a job bud). Jaal was just a casualty of me not finding the angora interesting at all.
Drack and Cora were my mains (as I was romancing Cora), but Peebee and Vetra swapped in for Cora to keep dialog fresh.
I liked everyone but Liam and Jaal. Liam because he was annoying and wouldn't ever put on a shirt (this is still a job bud). Jaal was just a casualty of me not finding the angora interesting at all.
Drack and Cora were my mains (as I was romancing Cora), but Peebee and Vetra swapped in for Cora to keep dialog fresh.
I didn't like Liam much but I think he possibly had the best loyalty mission.
Posts
I really liked the first 1/3 open world part of FF15 and then was so put off by the end of the game, that I haven't played it again since, not even the DLC which I already bought.
That works...better than it should!
I'm only like 70 pages in so I can't speak for the plot yet, but the writer definitely put some thought into how an ark housing several different species would function. I like the characters so far. One of the protagonists is Elcor! It hadn't occurred to me that a Mass Effect book could describe micro-gestures and smells that only Elchor perceive, but of course it can.
There are some videos on youtube from ME:A
The reapers invade and the shit hits the fan as we all know
Edit:
Also (lore)
"In honor of the 11th annual N7 Day, Dark Horse Direct and BioWare are pleased to reveal the Mass Efffect: Andromeda Tempest Ship 18' Replica!"
I'm guessing that someone didn't hit the shift key in the announcement, because I heavily doubt the model is 18 feet long.
Holy shit that's nice.
At least then it wouldn't be in serious danger of being trod on by dwarfs.
...shut up and take my money!
tbh if it was I might consider it just for the laughs
pleasepaypreacher.net
I've pondered getting an Apex patch, perhaps for my day to day bag. Had the game in general (and Multiplayer in specific) taken off like ME3's did, the next coin I was pondering getting made was for Apex. I just think it's a pretty badass name/insignia, but I don't think the demand would exist in nearly the same quantities, and challenge coins basically must be arranged in bulk (100-200+) to keep them affordable, at least with the company I've worked with.
Apparently he's also a fan of (minorest of minor spoilers, but just to be on the safe side)
His name is also an allusion to that.
And with that, I know this will be a good Mass Effect book.
Steam | XBL
I finally got around to picking back up where I left off on Noveria. A minute later my Mako is upside down and on fire. Whoops.
Mass Effect is a rough game to go back to. It does an excellent job at establishing a universe and invoking the imaginations of players, but it feels bland in comparison to the sequels.
But that "from the rubble" sequence at the end of the game? Gets me every time. The musical score is perfectly timed and Shepard has the smuggest grin imaginable.
I wanted to do this my last full series playthrough*, but I found myself too concerned about missing the 30s callback in subsequent games.
*right before playing Andromeda which definitely negatively impacted my opinion of that game.
The only mandatory sidequest is on the moon base. It’s not worth it to comb the citidel for keepers just for an e-mail in the next game.
Of course, they weren't necessary for anything outside of some (optional) character development, but they were still good to have.
Overall, best $12 I've spent in quite some time.
XBL: InvaderJims
Bnet: Pudgestomp#11153
pleasepaypreacher.net
It's not all that impressive a visual leap, just bringing it up to the level of the Playstation 4 Pro, but it's something, and performance is a lot more solid apparently.
The pacing issue of having them potentially separated by 10+ hours of faffing about on various worlds looking for rocks and people's missing jewelry or whatever didn't help it though. I think I sank more hours into ME:A than a combined playthrough time for any 2 previous games, but the peaks were diluted by lengthier times without a goal or purpose. Which is fine for many people, but not the experience I wanted. Even ME1's occasionally annoying 'screw you game, the Mako can totally traverse this nearly vertical knife edge ridge' moment didn't interrupt things quite like that aspect did.
I think one of my larger complaints was actually fixed eventually, with the game updating dialogue options to indicate when new things were available to discuss. I originally decided I wanted to romance
It was an interesting experience, in a way the game and characters swayed me from my original intent in a way I appreciated, but it was also facilitated by a remarkably long period between advances in the character connection I wanted to develop, and even longer periods of wandering about random planets fending off the occasional battle and Sudoku challenge.
I'm sure others had this experience as well, I doubt I'm treading a ton of new ground, but whenever I think back to the highlights of that game, even where they were truly immersive and impressive experiences, they also include exacerbating factors around them. Even as someone who didn't really dig into the game for a month or so after release (despite having Early Access and everything, it was a busy time), meaning a lot of the initial rush of fixes and patches had come through (with some solid Quality of Life elements added mid playthrough on top of that), it still struggled with pacing, in part due to the less curated experience presented, at least based on my preferences and expectations (which, again, I don't expect everyone to share).
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
Drack and Cora were my mains (as I was romancing Cora), but Peebee and Vetra swapped in for Cora to keep dialog fresh.
I didn't like Liam much but I think he possibly had the best loyalty mission.