Mass Effect: Andromeda is the fourth entry in Bioware's Mass Effect series, and was released in March 2017 for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC.
Some background, first: the Mass Effect series as a whole is known for its roleplaying elements and the impact of the player's choices on the story as a whole. The ending choices in Mass Effect 3 made it nearly impossible to set a sequel after it.
Andromeda, then, is a not-quite-reboot: as the name suggests, it takes place in an entirely different galaxy. It follows the Andromeda Initiative, a colonization mission that departed from the Milky Way between the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3, and which travelled for 600 years to reach the Andromeda galaxy.
In Andromeda, you play as Ryder, the Pathfinder: an inexperienced recruit who's put in the position of leading humanity to find a new world to settle on in this strange new galaxy. Needless to say, it doesn't go as smoothly as planned, and not everyone in the galaxy is friendly.
On the whole, combat is fantastic, mostly because you can jump. (Seriously, I never realized how much I wanted to jump in Mass Effect until this game.) You're no longer limited to to a single class; instead, you can choose to level up combat, biotic, and tech skills at will. Other aspects of the game aren't as great: the inventory system is clunky at best (and reminded me of ME1, which is not a good comparison). And, yes, the visuals are a bit glitchy at times, but hey, that's pretty par for the course with this series. (Even then, the game is absolutely gorgeous.)
Overall, Andromeda feels like an interesting mix of a lot of aspects from the trilogy, both good and bad. The main storyline is uneven at points, but Andromeda really shines in the interactions you have with your crew members, both on and off the ship. All told, it's a true Mass Effect game: emotionally fulfilling, incredibly fun, but not without flaws.
top of page ∗
site index
Mass Effect: Andromeda © Bioware.
No infringement intended.
Undiscovered is © Larissa, 2017-2023.