Some thoughts on this flaming POS before Bioware releases its so-called patch. The company claims it is working "around the clock" to address the plethora of issues plaguing the game.
On Nov. 20, 2007, two new games were both being released at the same time: Mass Effect and Assassins Creed.
Back then I relied on IGN and Game Informer to make my decisions and both of these games were getting a ton of hype leading to their release. I didn’t know which I wanted: the stealthy assassin game or the sci-fi RPG from an up-and-coming developer.
I opted for Mass Effect, which received widespread praise for its innovative story and gameplay. Meanwhile Assassins Cred was criticized as a mediocre, repetitive game that looked really pretty.
This brought me great joy, as I made the right decision, and ever since I’ve been quite smug on having a so-called winning streak of buying games Day One that justified the full-sticker price.
Developer Bioware continued to build on the franchise with Mass Effect 2 and later Mass Effect 3. All of them are excellent, memorable games, with the last one getting dogged way more than it should.
I purchased each on Day One and the Andromeda launch soon became my most anticipated release for the 2017 calendar year. After all, how could Bioware possible mess this game up? Even if they made it Mass Effect 3.1 it would have been awesome.
Delusional fanboys excluded, Andromeda may perhaps be the biggest flop of any AAA series sequel. Ever. It didn’t take me long to form this opinion – about 12 hours of playing it. (You can get about $30 if you trade it in at Best Buy right now).
Beyond the bugs and terrible animations, Andromeda is a game that is broken at its core, one that fails to wow the player when attempting to deliver an immersive, memorable experience.
Some have sighted a weak story, but this game could have pulled off the same exact story -- bugs and all -- if the dialogue was delivered with some effort. And, if quests, environments were actually compelling. I gave up on Andromeda when I was asked to push a button – and then scan something – for the 363rd time.
As I right this, I am clueless as to what the names of my crew were. I remember Peebee because her name is PeeBee and because she is blue. But that’s it. I also remember shooting rocks and alien-machine-like things. I’m not entirely sure what they’re supposed to be and I don’t care to find out.
How did this happen? How did Bioware take a beloved franchise and screw it up this bad? The “expansive” open worlds merely serve as filler, there is literally nothing meaningful to do.
I often wonder why people defend this POS and say things like, “Well this is good because next time Bioware will get it right.”
No, they won’t. And that’s a terrible silver lining because A) I sure as hell won’t be there Day One for the sequel and B) Bioware clearly didn’t learn following the fumble that was Dragon Age 2. Remember that trash? And remember how they lied when saying the tactics from Origin were making a return in Awakening?
The sequel to Andromeda won’t be better and we’ll very likely continue to see the trend from Bioware of innovating in all the wrong ways with games that were once good.
It might be a farewell to a once powerhouse company, but, there is good news: There are always hungry developers who push their limits and innovate.
Look at Nioh. And Skylines. And the Witcher series – these are just a few examples of developers who are hungrier than those who have gained a comfortable lead from their previous, successful games.
This game was a cash grab, and it’s still in cash grabbing mode. Diehard fans oblivious to how terrible this game is will continue to fund this lousy game and prove to the delusional executives at Bioware that Andromeda was a success!
Of course, I, too, am to blame for this: I bought it Day One. But I can assure you I won’t be there for the next one.
On Nov. 20, 2007, two new games were both being released at the same time: Mass Effect and Assassins Creed.
Back then I relied on IGN and Game Informer to make my decisions and both of these games were getting a ton of hype leading to their release. I didn’t know which I wanted: the stealthy assassin game or the sci-fi RPG from an up-and-coming developer.
I opted for Mass Effect, which received widespread praise for its innovative story and gameplay. Meanwhile Assassins Cred was criticized as a mediocre, repetitive game that looked really pretty.
This brought me great joy, as I made the right decision, and ever since I’ve been quite smug on having a so-called winning streak of buying games Day One that justified the full-sticker price.
Developer Bioware continued to build on the franchise with Mass Effect 2 and later Mass Effect 3. All of them are excellent, memorable games, with the last one getting dogged way more than it should.
I purchased each on Day One and the Andromeda launch soon became my most anticipated release for the 2017 calendar year. After all, how could Bioware possible mess this game up? Even if they made it Mass Effect 3.1 it would have been awesome.
Delusional fanboys excluded, Andromeda may perhaps be the biggest flop of any AAA series sequel. Ever. It didn’t take me long to form this opinion – about 12 hours of playing it. (You can get about $30 if you trade it in at Best Buy right now).
Beyond the bugs and terrible animations, Andromeda is a game that is broken at its core, one that fails to wow the player when attempting to deliver an immersive, memorable experience.
Some have sighted a weak story, but this game could have pulled off the same exact story -- bugs and all -- if the dialogue was delivered with some effort. And, if quests, environments were actually compelling. I gave up on Andromeda when I was asked to push a button – and then scan something – for the 363rd time.
As I right this, I am clueless as to what the names of my crew were. I remember Peebee because her name is PeeBee and because she is blue. But that’s it. I also remember shooting rocks and alien-machine-like things. I’m not entirely sure what they’re supposed to be and I don’t care to find out.
How did this happen? How did Bioware take a beloved franchise and screw it up this bad? The “expansive” open worlds merely serve as filler, there is literally nothing meaningful to do.
I often wonder why people defend this POS and say things like, “Well this is good because next time Bioware will get it right.”
No, they won’t. And that’s a terrible silver lining because A) I sure as hell won’t be there Day One for the sequel and B) Bioware clearly didn’t learn following the fumble that was Dragon Age 2. Remember that trash? And remember how they lied when saying the tactics from Origin were making a return in Awakening?
The sequel to Andromeda won’t be better and we’ll very likely continue to see the trend from Bioware of innovating in all the wrong ways with games that were once good.
It might be a farewell to a once powerhouse company, but, there is good news: There are always hungry developers who push their limits and innovate.
Look at Nioh. And Skylines. And the Witcher series – these are just a few examples of developers who are hungrier than those who have gained a comfortable lead from their previous, successful games.
This game was a cash grab, and it’s still in cash grabbing mode. Diehard fans oblivious to how terrible this game is will continue to fund this lousy game and prove to the delusional executives at Bioware that Andromeda was a success!
Of course, I, too, am to blame for this: I bought it Day One. But I can assure you I won’t be there for the next one.
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