Mass Effect Andromeda: The Downsides, No Game Without Criticism
If you have read this far, you might be wondering whether Mass Effect: Andromeda is a pure gaming revelation without flaws. And it definitely isn’t. ME:A has its downsides, and I would like to list them separately.
Errors in the Animations
It has been discussed and laughed about a lot, but I mention it again. Mass Effect: Andromeda has some issues with the facial animations of humans. They often appear wooden and out of place. But other animations also have occasional errors. Sometimes characters are misplaced or stand rigidly in a stiff pose simply in space. This is rare overall, but noticeable each time.
Breaking Immersion
While the developers placed great importance on giving the alien species an interesting culture and explaining it piece by piece, there are a few points that could distract a “hardcore” science fiction fan from the immersion. These logical and presentation errors are rare but annoying, as they immediately catch the eye of fans.
Let’s take the Angara as an example. Quite early after the first contact, we meet a group of their scientists. They are pleased about our visit and point out that they have never met a human or any other peaceful species before. This would sound more convincing if they didn’t have a screen showing obviously Arabic numbers. Strange for someone who has never had contact with people from the Milky Way.
The Angara do not trade in credits, but by exchanging goods. This is explicitly mentioned by some NPCs. So, it’s all the more strange that I – directly at the first visit to the Angara planet – can already pay and trade in credits. Sure, it’s “just the engine” – but it is wrong and dilutes the story.
But immersion breaks in other places too. In an interesting side quest, we are hunting for a human woman who has woken up from cryosleep and carries a contagious disease that could soon cause mass deaths if it breaks out. Since paranoia is one of the side effects of the disease, this woman flies away from the Nexus with a stolen shuttle. The shuttle is damaged by a technician, so we can follow her.
The catch: The shuttle is now at the other end of the galaxy. We are not talking about a spaceship we are chasing, but a small shuttle that is meant for transit between two ships or from space stations to the surface of a planet. That one can traverse the entire galaxy with such a shuttle is illogical and ridiculous.
Inventory Management
The inventory of ME:A is a disaster. It is confusing, and it feels like it was designed by a developer who hates humans and their life time. There is an inventory limit that is relatively large, but the game never really reveals which items count toward this limit and which do not. You find out awkwardly by randomly selling stuff.
Also, the labeling of the items seems random and strange. Why is the pistol that inflicts minimal damage and sways like it’s firing a rocket launcher labeled as “super rare” while the assault rifle with high damage and perfect stability is labeled as “common”? I still haven’t grasped the logic behind that – and I also don’t think it will ever happen.
Fluctuating Difficulty
I am playing the game on “normal” and am primarily specializing in Biotic and Tech. The difficulty seems to fluctuate significantly. While there are some missions where I feel genuinely challenged, hopping from cover to cover, jumping platforms, and engaging enemies in melee, that’s not always the case. Occasionally, a single biotic explosion is enough to annihilate a whole enemy squad. The balance here doesn’t seem optimal, and in hindsight, it would probably have been wiser to raise the difficulty level of my game save (which is possible during gameplay).
Game Crashes – Forced and Unwanted
In my almost 50 hours of gameplay, the game crashed twice with an error message and twice completely without one. This has happened every time I tried to return from a planet to the Tempest. Basically, it’s not that bad since the game always saved right beforehand – if that hasn’t happened though, it could be annoying. Less forgivable are the moments when I get “stuck” with Ryder. Since we can climb almost any crate with the press of CTRL, I have made good use of this. However, I advise against it on the Nexus. At three points, I was able to climb crates, but couldn’t get down from them and was forced to restart the game. Anyone saving in such a situation would likely regret it later.
The German Voice Acting
I usually give most voiceovers a fair chance, but Mass Effect: Andromeda is simply not good. While I can hardly complain about the main voice actors, the secondary characters often sound like they are just reading lines in German without knowing the situation. Especially the Krogan and Turians sound… strange. Not Krogan-like or Turian-like. I can only recommend the English original version – if in doubt, with subtitles.
No Damn Minimap
I absolutely cannot understand how such a feature could be missing. While there is a rough compass at the top of the screen with some navigation points, a proper minimap would have greatly benefitted the game. I understand that it might detract from the atmosphere in Remnant caves, but I miss it on the planet’s surface. Or on the Nexus. Or everywhere else. Grr. Improve it, BioWare.
Balance Between Combat and Story
For me, as a fan of dialogues, it’s a paradise, but those who prefer action without pause might be disturbed by this. Andromeda has some rather long passages where only talking and debating occurs. While the dialogues are good and have exciting revelations, anyone who wants to shoot at enemies must also plan half an hour of “talking.” Personally, I loved it, but I know some might find it boring.
Although the list of flaws is now long, in light of the overall work, they are minor. They do not manage to permanently diminish the fun of the game – but should still be mentioned.
