Mass Effect Andromeda Review: Graphics and Presentation – Beautiful with Limitations
The developers did not exaggerate in saying that the world of Andromeda is vast. But creating size is easy – does the game look good? Are the worlds filled with exciting content?
Whether we are on the jungle planet Havarl, the deserts of Eos, or the marketplace of Aya: The world of Andromeda is beautiful, mystical, and breathtaking.
When I first saw the environments in the screenshots, I thought they must have been edited. Now I am relatively sure: No, these worlds are this beautiful. Even the toxic, nuclear-contaminated lakes of a dying planet, where the corpses of bandits float in abundance, have a gruesome allure.
Particularly noteworthy are the ruins of the Remnants, which often extend deep beneath the planet’s surface. The acoustic and visual backdrop is creepy, thrilling, and for the first time in a long while, one really feels like entering something completely foreign. Something that one does not understand and perhaps will never fully comprehend.
Dark corridors illuminated by blue lights, while mechanical sounds echo through the walls. One constantly wonders: What makes these sounds? What is the purpose of this building? And what the hell is breathing down my neck?
Uncertainty is an important factor in ME:A, and the fact that we can activate most things “just like that” with SAM’s help, without knowing the consequences, makes each button press an emotional roller coaster.
Facial Expressions – The Horror Has a Face
As beautiful as the game world, the cutscenes, the aliens, and the entire staging of the world are, the poor facial animation stands out more strongly.
While fans hope that this will be fixed “with a patch”, I am skeptical. This would mean that the developers would have to re-edit every single scene, and I cannot imagine such an effort being made.
That aside, there is absolutely no excuse for these facial animations. Such things should not happen in a title that otherwise radiates graphic splendor. No one can tell me that BioWare didn’t notice this.
However, I must add that one “gets used” to the problem of “expressionless faces”. After a few hours, you live with the fact that Ryder’s face is always a bit expressionless or a bit dumb smiling. Usually, this is overshadowed by the (English) voice acting and gets drowned out in the overall picture of the scene.
Ryder is damn cool, and ultimately, the mistakes in the faces – despite all the derision and mockery they deserve – are just a negative point that does not ruin the overall experience.
