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Mass Effect: Andromeda | Review Thread

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ironcreed

Banned
What I get out of this thread so far is that shinobi is the only player alive that liked the game, all the reviews are dire and that there sure is a lot of people, without having played it themselves, are wallowing like gluttons in their own confirmation bias.

I'm sure the game is problematic but damn, it's always a drama scene with this shit.

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zelas

Member
As someone who has never played the first three games outside of ME3's multiplayer, will it still be worth renting ME:A for that aspect alone?
 

Syrus

Banned
Ive enjoyed it so far. Plus goy free credit from amazon CC lol. Im die hard ME fan anyways.

The MP is enjoyable and ive liked the SP so far.

Doing nale shep again.
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
Can't wait for the "they are only trying to validate their purchase" arguments pop up when other people come out positive on the game.

If someone is trashing others' criticisms or suddenly throwing ME 1/2/3 under the bus then it's hard not to use this argument. For those who are genuinely positive on the game without needing to do this, that's a good thing.
 

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
That new IP they have for this year better be amazing. Giving one of their main series' to their B team and having this happen is not a good look.
 

RDreamer

Member
I blame all of the people that gave DA:I GOTY awards and praised that pile of garbage to no end. A shit-tier CW fanfic romance sim with decades old MMO elements should not EVER be used as a template for future games.

DA:I is one of my favorite games of this generation. It had one of the best casts and character writing around. Gameplay was solid and fun, and it was one of the most relaxing games I've ever had to just plop down and get in hours after a frustrating day at work.

Calling it a romance sim is fucking ridiculous and you know it. That barely accounts for any real time in the game.
 

geordiemp

Member
Here, my game of the generation so far:

7tNZgS3.png


Now what?

This shit IS subjective and unless you are a reviewer you don´t have to put a score on it.

Shinobi enjoys it - for HIS reasons.

Yup, cant listen to critics myself who gave TP a 95 and I got bored after 6 hours and stopped, and yet Destiny was also my game of this decade and yet got shat on by critics who would not know a good shooter if it bit them in the ass IMO.

The combat sounds good in most reviews, which is what I personally get out of ME myself as the dialogue is always bat shit crazy anyway and more for the character interaction than the crazy topic of discussion.

What does concern me is Eurogamer quoting single digit frame rate instances - if thats loading an area and uncommon then OK, but if not its game over.
 
As it's been said before, reviews are all subjective. How much are you willing to look past the technical issues? How much of an imprint does the new cast make on you? How much do you enjoy the game play? What your time spent with a game or series meant to you is how you will ultimately judge this game. A review "score" is nothing more than a subjective number of someone's opinion. I think most of us are susceptible to it in one way or another.

Technical issues are an exception to this. There is no arguing that poor animation, pop in and poor frame rates are not only a detraction from the game experience but are issues in and of themselves that could (and should) have been corrected before release. And seeing some of these animations boggles my mind in how the devs thought releasing it in this state would be okay.

But the real question is how much do these issues really detract for the experience for you? We do live in a time where 7's are considered average some average and by many people as bad. There is something to be said when a the previous games in a series ranked higher but ultimately it comes down to your investment in the Mass Effect universe, what the world and lore of Mass Effect means to you, that will ultimately determine if it's a 7, 5 or 9 to you. It's what you get out of it.

Other components of games can be criticised objectively too, like UI design for instance, which I've heard criticised in a few Andromeda reviews. The point is that it's not just technical issues that can undergo objective scrutiny. Even gameplay loops and player progression can be objectively unrewarding.

But I do agree, some people can look past these issues too and they'll affect their experiences with the game, much less. However that doesn't change the games quality if it's packed with issues that have potency to cause uses to disengage and lose interest.

Here, my game of the generation so far:

7tNZgS3.png


Now what?

This shit IS subjective and unless you are a reviewer you don´t have to put a score on it.

Shinobi enjoys it - for HIS reasons.

But those day-one critical aggregates don't reflect Destiny's quality, or its overall reception. With patches and various expansions Destiny became a much better game than the aggregate your citing reflects. Those that stuck with it saw the base content expanded upon with various events, loot, QoL enhancements and gameplay opportunities, and those that stuck with the expansions were able to enjoy content that was very well received.

In general I think that the traditional review model is a poor fit for persistently adapting online environments. So many of these games are released unfinished, broken or packed with various issues that just make them unenjoyable to play, and they get progressively better with time. Final Fantasy A Realm Reborn is another example of an MMO styled game that made a huge turn around in quality.

Ultimately I don't even know what you're arguing about because I didn't follow the previous conversation, but the example you chose to use here is really poor. because the metacritic doesn't reflect the quality of the experience that people can have now, or had with Destiny as it progressed. This wouldn't be an issue if ME:A were a similar game, with a similar set of concerns, but it's not. There's nothing to suggest that this game would see a persistent evolution akin to the likes of Destiny or other MMOs, and many of the issues that critics cite can't be rectified in this manner, either.
 

Ushay

Member
What I get out of this thread so far is that shinobi is the only player alive that liked the game, all the reviews are dire and that there sure is a lot of people, without having played it themselves, are wallowing like gluttons in their own confirmation bias.

I'm sure the game is problematic but damn, it's always a drama scene with this shit.
I agree, just the Internet amplifying issues to the point of complete dismissal. From the 10 hours I played, yes it does have some minor issues but there is a real gem here.

Can only imagine it will a much better package with further updates and DLC. Witcher 3 continued used to improve post release. Why wouldn't Bioware do the same?
 
Machinima likes it and basically says "buy it".

It's interesting how some sites actually say most is very good here and those same things are shitted on in other reviews.
 

prwxv3

Member
Saying "It's reviewing really well internally / in mock reviews" during pre-release window and close to release is hyping up the game because it feeds into hype of fans and those waiting for it with thirst.

Those fans are stupid. Have some fucking self control.
 

MAX PAYMENT

Member
Man, these reviews are disappointing. I love the mass effect series.

I'll probably cave and still get this one earlier than I shouod, but I still hope the givery us a trilogy remaster.
 
Saying "It's reviewing really well internally / in mock reviews" during pre-release window and close to release is hyping up the game because it feeds into hype of fans and those waiting for it with thirst.

Stating something that is happening internally is not a problem. He stated something that is factual.

Wow, gamers got hyped. So what?
 

Shari

Member
I blame all of the people that gave DA:I GOTY awards and praised that pile of garbage to no end. A shit-tier CW fanfic romance sim with decades old MMO elements should not EVER be used as a template for future games.

Thank you.

Nedless to say I adhere 100% to this comment.
 

Kagutaba

Member
The villian in Mass Effect Andromeda feels a lot more determined and passionate than any of the main characters.
He feels like a convincing individual with motivations and beliefs.
If you ask me I would rather be on his side, even that means I am the bad guy.

Jm2ZKMR.png


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At least it's a lot more interesting than these generic, tryhard, bland, soulless teenage movie stars.

nyjrH8o.png

Man, I don't get the animosity. Liam is better than Kaidan and Jacob, Cora is better than Ashley, PeeBee is better than Liara from the first game, Vetra is better than Garrus from the first game, Drack is on par with Wrex.
 
Well there was a point in time where I was beyond hyped for a new Mass Effect. One impulse buy Switch and Zelda later, and I'm just a little disappointed. Maybe the game will be worth going through at the end of the year on Scorpio. The combat and exploration looks to be fairly compelling at least. Just wish there was more of what I like about the series.
 

BiggNife

Member
Checked out some of the romance bedroom stuff on Youtube.

... I think I see where a lot of their focus went.
This quote from the IGN review is pretty great

And my stars, do they ever get naked. I’m not just talking about Liam’s apparent allergy to shirts, here. You have plenty of romance options for either gender, including same-sex and interspecies, and when you’ve gone out of your way to talk to them and run errands for them (which often involve blowing up robots or killing outlaws) to kindle the flames of your budding relationship, you’re treated to a full-on R-rated sex scene the likes of which the Mass Effect series has never seen before. My wife’s reaction as I sealed the deal with human biotic commando Cora was to state, matter-of-factly, that, “This is porn. And it looks weird.” She’s not wrong on either count – especially since male Ryder appears to have painstakingly removed every hair on his body below the neck – but I’d call it tasteful porn thanks to the context of the conversations leading up to it.

I think there is definitely a point where devs can go a bit too overboard on fanservice and this is one of them. If it reaches the point where someone else watching the game is saying "this is weird and creepy" then you've probably made a wrong turn somewhere.
 

marrec

Banned
It seems to me that Bioware is simply too afraid to push the envelope and evolve and experiment. Instead they rely on the same formula they developed in KOTOR and has been adding whatever is popular at the time to the formula while having teenage romance and Chosen One narratives for the last 17 years.

Part of what makes ME 1 the best Mass Effect for me is the more personal story it tells. I mean, it's still a dumb grand space opera, but it doesn't get so Chosen One as to be boorish. I don't know why Bioware has to make all of their main characters Jesus.

I agree with you to an extent, but I think Dragon Age: Inquisition isn't a good example. The character writing in DA:I is as good or better than DA: Origin, and the critical path is a lot of fun. The existence of too many throw-away quests is a genuine problem, but it doesn't take away from the core of fun that Bioware successfully crafted.

While I agree that the character writing in DA:I was good, I think the main plot was pretty bland, and the world they stuff you into ended up being not worth saving anyway. Their grand plots all fall flat. The best part of DA:I was the War Room style mission planning and execution, and the side content. Whoever wrote the side content for DA:I should be promoted.
 
I do think the Mass effect name is what is keeping reviewers from destroying the game.

All you have to do is look at the "Eurojank" games that get thrashed by reviewers all the time.

In this case people are like "Story is shit, animations are shit, design is shit, game is boring: 8.5/10"

Crazy stuff
 
I am disappointed with the scores,I am still buying because I am waiting for this game for a long time,but I already expected to be lower than the trilogy but not so low
 

ironcreed

Banned
yeah, i've been thinking about 2 games i loved this gen: mafia 3 (68) & mad max (69) :) ...

II hear you. Happens all the damn time with some of the games I love the most. Reviews are good to get a general impression, but I never base my purchases on a number derived from an aggregate of opinions. If it looks like something I want to play, I go for it. But of course I still always like to see a game I am interested in review well.
 
yeeeeah see, to me, only ME2 is worthy of those 9+ scores. ME1 and 3 though? I just can't agree with that. Mid to high 8s? For sure. Great fucking games.

I'm with you. Having played through the series again recently I would say that ME2 is the only one that is both really fun to play and exceptionally well written. ME3 plays great but has a massively flawed story while ME1 is super clunky to play but also that story is maybe not as good as many of us remember it. ME1 & ME3 are still good but ME2 is the only entry in the series that I'd consider to be exceptional.

Seems like your enjoyment will depend on...
- Fan-factor of Mass Effect
- Tolerance of busywork
- Ability to look past bugs

I would say all three of these were true of the last two ME games and busy work and bugs were definitely a thing in ME1 as well. Yes, many of the major issues were eventually patched out of the trilogy on 360 but the PC and PS3 Trilogies are still super buggy. From the little bit I've played I think Andromeda has the roughest start to any ME game in both how fun it is to play and in terms of story, but once I got past the prologue what I played felt like Mass Effect (for better or worse). I would say this game's greatest sin is that it doesn't really strive to do anything that the previous 3 games didn't and outside of combat it also doesn't really seem to strive to improve on anything the previous 3 games did either. While the combat is a noticeable step up from the previous 3 games the new galaxy map is a dramatic step down and while the new conversation system should lead to more interesting (more human) conversations I feel like the binary nature of the Paragon/Renegade system actually led to more interesting conversations as well as instant gratification in many situations.

Now I mentioned earlier that the bugs in this game are in line with past entries but that is not me forgiving those issues. While I think there's a lot of hyperbole surrounding that stuff this game most definitely has a lot of visual problems. When you've had a 5 year dev cycle on the 4th entry of a beloved series you shouldn't still be having these issues (new team or not). How one BioWare team could do humans so well with Dragon Age Inquisition while another BioWare team does them so poorly for Andromeda is baffling. Having said all of that I'm still really enjoying the game.

Warts and all this is the definition of a good but not great game. While it's not unfair to expect more from this game and it's not unfair to be disappointed in this game it's also not a bad game. I think the combination of how beloved this series is with how strong the start of this year has been with multiple 9/10 10/10 games being released has caused this games flaws to seem all the more glaring. I think if Andromeda was released this time last year exactly as it is now people would be far less negative about it. In many ways the past 6 months of releases has raised the bar substantially.
 
yeeeeah see, to me, only ME2 is worthy of those 9+ scores. ME1 and 3 though? I just can't agree with that. Mid to high 8s? For sure. Great fucking games.

Has always been my opinion as well.


I blame all of the people that gave DA:I GOTY awards and praised that pile of garbage to no end. A shit-tier CW fanfic romance sim with decades old MMO elements should not EVER be used as a template for future games.

I don't disagree.
 

Audioboxer

Member
It's been 4-5 years since GTA V though.

Rockstar don't care, it'll be out when it's out. If it needs more polish and time, 2018. Unlike EA who clearly thought ME:A should ship like this.

To which most of us go...

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Or the average gamer at an EA meeting where they're saying yes, lets ship it

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MGS5 might have shipped unfinished, but at least it was polished.
 

jdstorm

Banned
It was a smart move to make this a one-off title instead of calling it Mass Effect 4, in case of failure. However, I don't think of this game as a full failure. I think of it as a good attempt from a team who just wasn't quite ready yet to make a game of this magnitude. They possibly could have used more time or more help from a different time. Not sure which.

Those of you trying to throw the original trilogy under the bus to justify your purchase/investment, that's not cool at all and does a disservice to a great set of games. Be as open minded(positively and negatively) as you are when you go buy tickets to see a movie. Not every movie you see will be an A+ work.



There are too many different Bioware teams now for this to mean something anymore.

Honestly the concept at EA was sound. Pair many of those responsible for the fantastic multiplayer in ME3 with some creative people who had been there from the begining (Mac Walters) and let that new energy try and reinvent/reinvigorate the Mass Effect brand.

To me the biggest issue seems to be that the Mass Effect brand was not quite the cohesive entity that EA thought when they first commisioned this project. So what may have started as a simple rehash of ME1 in a new galaxy with ME3s combat system, turned into a complete reimagining and reinvention of one of last generations favourite IPs from the ground up. Thats a huge job and the team tasked with it werent quite able to execute it with the polish expected of a AAA game
 

Varth

Member
What are you implying here?

What kind of bullshit is this?

You think he was payed to give us his impressions?

Because if not you should just shut up.

Shinobi is a ME fan. he gave us his impressions after 3 hours.

End of fucking story.

He's an influencer on the biggest enthusiast gamers board and on his personal and very successful twitter. Integral to the promotion and hype creation on the game here for a long time. I know it, you know it, Bioware knows it.

I'm sure he's not a paid shill, but how close you have to be with a developer to draw a line between "a fan" and "a marketing tool"? Draw a line, everybody sticks to it, I'm fine with whatever.

Let's make the most of this trainwreck.
 
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