So, I finally decided to finish up Mass Effect: Andromeda. I started playing it on release and just now finished it. Most of you know that I'm basically a Mass Effect shill. So, that's my review...that it took me five years to complete.
Had I never played any other ME games or this was not in the ME universe at all, this game could have been a solid 6-6.5, maybe a 7 (though I think that's reaching a bit) according to what you are after in a video game. But, I did play the other games (yes, mobile, too) and it is solidly in the ME universe...this was just disappointing.
Aside from standard issues of characters I wasn't as invested in, antagonist that seemed to lack believable motivation, combat that was obviously catered to the multiplayer component, and cut down story beats that were intended to be tacked on as DLC (see: quarians), identity was my biggest gripe. Andromeda couldn't decide what it wanted to be, was it a Mass Effect copy/clone/sequel or was it its own game, and in the end it felt like it was trying to be all of those and nailed none. (See: loyalty missions, that mean...what exactly or creation of outposts on new worlds only to never really do anything with them after).
Shepard was an established hero, with pre-existing badassery in some form or fashion, so it was logical that the heavy responsibility of saving...everything, fell on his shoulders when the time came. Ryder was tasked with the same responsibility basically because his dad made that choice for the galaxy and everyone was just like, "ok, I guess it's up to you?"
There was a lot I liked about Andromeda, but every single component of it left me unfulfilled and disappointed. The core story and the direction it was going, I feel was really good, but you don't even truly reveal that until the last couple missions. I really enjoyed the character specific missions as it developed who they were and what they stood for, but that was such a small part of the game, I never got the same attachment for them as the OT casts.
This really feels like a game that was in five less than two years of delepment and then rushed to meet a deadline.
Sad.