Now Loading...Thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda Reception

With Mass Effect being one of the most critically and commercially successful new IPs launched last gen, it’s understandable that EA would want to continue BioWare’s sci-fi RPG this generation.

Given how successful the original trilogy was (Metacritic: ME1 at 85, ME2 at 94 and ME3 at 93), safe to say, fans were expecting a certain kind of quality that’s usually associated with BioWare’s RPGs. Unfortunately, Mass Effect Andromeda seems to have stumbled a bit out of the gate critically (currently averaging a 75 on Metacritic), which is surprising given its five-year development cycle and excellent pedigree.

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Is it a case of a new studio (BioWare Montreal) faltering under its first AAA game? Internal politics as some have reported? Rushed and unrealistic deadline for release? We don’t know for sure just now, but what we do know is how we feel about it. Check out the gallery below to see what the PlayStation LifeStyle crew thinks of the Mass Effect Andromeda reception and whether we think the franchise will — or need to — be put on hibernation for a while.

Agree with what the staff thinks? Why do you think Mass Effect Andromeda failed to live up to the hype and even its own lineage? What do you think will happen to the franchise moving forward? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Now Loading is a recurring staff-driven feature where PlayStation LifeStyle discusses anything video game-related under the sun (yes, even non-Sony platforms).

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Now Loading...Thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda Reception

Now Loading...Thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda Reception
Zarmena Khan

@Zarmena

I kind of expected it when the first impressions started to appear online. But I'd be lying if I said I'm not surprised by the quality. I am. It's 2017 and there just aren't enough excuses to put out a $60 game that looks so last-gen. I'm the first one to say I don't care about graphics but if it's bad enough for someone like me to notice, it's bad.

Apart from the above, the complaints about the story are bad news. It seems that the game just doesn't excel in any department whatsoever. What happened, BioWare?
Stephen Bitto

@SteveOneder

I've been anticipating disappointment from Mass Effect: Andromeda for quite some time now although I was also hoping I'd be wrong. Honestly, ever since they announced the return of Mako exploration I was skeptical of the creative team's ability to identify what made the series great. I am glad I held off on pre-ordering as there are many more deserving games to play in the gaming market right now.
Chandler Wood

@FinchStrife

Reviews are extremely mixed. Plotting a different course was bound to create the kind of love it or hate it response we are seeing, and the technical issues only compounded that by asking players to decide what was really important to them instead of just making an all around solid game. From everything I've heard, Mass Effect: Andromeda is not a bad game, it just failed to meet certain lofty expectations it was never going to reach anyway.

I think this will be a wake up call for Bioware. The franchise is not dead. One mixed title can't kill the juggernaut that is Mass Effect. I almost guarantee that a lot of the preproduction work for a follow up is already done, and that we'll see a lot stronger of an offering from Andromeda 2. Just look at Mass Effect 2 compared with the original game, and you'll see that improvement on the core ideas is inevitable.
Michael Briers

@briersytweets

Once those impression pieces started to surface, things started to snowball. Granted, from the little I've played on a friend's Xbox One (I know, I know...) Andromeda is by no means a disaster, but it's not exactly the revival that BioWare's series needed after a five-year hiatus. Plus, Stephen's right, the fact that there are so, so many great games out there at the minute hasn't exactly done Mass Effect Andromeda any favours.
Cameron Teague

@Cameron_PSLS

Sorry I had no thoughts on it originally so no disappointment.
Alex Co

@excaliburps

Honestly? I am shocked at how much BioWare dropped the ball on this one. It's been in development for such a long time, and it's rare nowadays for a big, AAA game to come out this technically flawed. I mean, for me, that's the most surprising thing. Story, plot can a subjective thing, but technical guffaws aren't.

I wouldn't be surprised if this puts the Mass Effect franchise on ice for a while. Either BioWare Edmonton takes back the reins, or it'll be put on the backburner for a bit, and maybe reboot it if needed. That said, this is all moot if the game sells like gangbusters. If it does, then prepare for Andromeda 2 sometime before this gen is up.
Mack Ashworth

@GamingWithMack

I thought BioWare would succeed, at the very least, in making a strong foundation for future games in this new series.

Unfortunately, I was wrong, and the developers are going to have to pull out all the stops if they hope to impress with the sequel... If there is a sequel, that is!