APC_Australia_Issue_442_June_2017

downtime
» GAMES: EDITED BY CARMEL SEALEY
Andromeda’s planets are far more open
than those of the original trilogy.
PC, PS4, XO | $99.95 | WWW.MASSEFFECT.COM
Mass Effect: Andromeda
BioWare’s latest sci-fi saga is a thrill Ryder, but it doesn’t quite reach for the stars.
Why give credit to
an electrifying
30–40-hour
sci-fi adventure
when we can obsess over
wonky lips and dead-eyed
expressions? The High
Court Of Internet Rage
has reached its verdict:
Mass Effect: Andromeda is
rubbish because the facial
animation isn’t up to
Uncharted levels.
Of course, Andromeda isn’t
rubbish. It’s actually a damn
good Mass Effect game...
albeit a compromised one.
Whether it’s a by-product of
BioWare losing key people, or
the studio struggling to get
to grips with DICE’s Frostbite
3 engine, the final game
lacks the polish you’d expect
from a triple-A EA title. Yes,
lip-syncing is frequently off,
and there’s an overall
plainness to the visuals that
can make it look drab, but
that shouldn’t be your main
takeaway.
Andromeda wisely packs
its bags, and leaves Shep, the
Normandy... hell, it leaves the
entire Milky Way behind.
In an effort to expand
humanity’s horizons, the
Andromeda Initiative is
formed before the Reaper
attacks of Shepard’s story.
Entire races board Arks
(massive spacefaring
colonies), and sent hurtling
through the cosmos towards
a system called the Heleus
Cluster. Said region is
reported to contain ‘Golden
Worlds’, a set of mineral-rich
planets ripe for colonisation.
Cue a 600-year trip that
involves a whole heap of cryo
sleep. The game opens on a
primarily human Ark, the
Nexus, just as it’s being
rudely awoken from
centuries of space slumber.
A gun-heavy tutorial
places you in the role either
Scott or Sara Ryder, and
after meeting (and shooting)
some Kett, Andromeda
swiftly crowns you
‘Pathfinder’. After that, your
40-hour robot-shooting,
planet-mining, alienbonking
journey commences.
Andromeda spins itself out
in dozens of directions.
While you obviously have
to tackle story missions in
a specific order, the game
never rushes you, often
actively encouraging you
to lose yourself in its side
content. There are so many
optional quests to leisurely
pursue, it’d be daft to focus
on blitzing the main
campaign.
Monoliths are like Mass
Effect’s take on dungeons —
stuffed with puzzles and
platforming sections,
requiring Ryder to break out
their awesome boost jump.
The platforming bits are
great. Pity we can’t say the
same about breaking into
these sodding structures
by playing a minigame of
space Sudoku. Gunfights
continually challenge you to
dash and vault your way out
of hairy situations. Without
question, this is the best
fighting has ever been in
Mass Effect. It’s a joy. Every
weapon in the game can be
tweaked with a variety of
tactical mods, scope and
stock upgrades. Ryder’s
biotic skills are terrific, too.
The only real fault with the
system is being limited to
three skill slots.
Exploring is almost as
enjoyable as fighting. The
Nomad makes the simple act
of moving between mission
markers a pleasure and is
the best in-game vehicle
Mass Effect has produced.
The scenery that rolls into
view is also impressive.
Many moments with your
crew feel forced, yes, with
dialogue that’s tiresomely
try-hard but BioWare injects
lots of flavour into the
Pathfinder’s lines. In the end,
Mass Effect: Andromeda is
far from the shuttle crash
some would have you believe.
Dave Meikleham
Verdict
This game kicks off what’s likely to be a
new trilogy with an interesting, fresh
premise and great combat.
110 www.apcmag.com