Ah, Mass Effect: Andromeda, the latest entrant to my all time favorite franchise. Before we even got a look at the game, I knew I was going to have to weigh in on it, and that time is finally here.
Mass Effect: Andromeda’s much awaited launch saw the game release to an assault of criticism on topics ranging from the notable lack of polish to questionable design decisions all around. Even as an enormous fan of the series – I consider the original trilogy to be my favorite games of all time – I have to agree with the criticism. The most accurate description of my time with the game would be that of an enjoyable, but profoundly disappointing experience.
But that’s the thing – it is enjoyable, at least for me. Even with the widely panned animations, dodgy writing, and awful mess of a UI, Mass Effect: Andromeda still manages to be a game you can have fun with, and what’s interesting is how it does it. Normally, you expect a Mass Effect game to deliver excellent writing and terrific character interaction while you play your way through passable but somewhat suspect gameplay mechanics. In Andromeda, the game’s appeal has largely turned out to be quite the opposite.
In this way, Mass Effect Andromeda has brought something new to the table for the franchise to work with in future, hopefully more polished titles. Looking past the mistakes and the problems the game has for now, here are the top features from Andromeda that I’d like to see become a staple of future Mass Effect games to come.
