Mass Effect has been regarded as one of the greatest gaming trilogies since the release of the third game all the way back in 2012. Fast forward five years later and we see the release of Mass Effect Andromeda, the black sheep of the Mass Effect series. Andromeda was panned for its laughable character models, uneven voice acting, and an abundance of glitches and bugs at launch. What if I was here to tell you that Mass Effect Andromeda is better then you once thought? Well, that is exactly what I plan on doing right here, right now.

Mass Effect Andromeda was an un-disputable mess at launch, filled with odd walking animations, audio cutting out, enemies somehow being able to attack you during cutscenes when you have no way of defending yourself, and NPCs blocking your way, halting your progression. After subsequent patches, Bioware Montreal (Now defunct) fixed a fair amount of the issues and have made Andromeda a better game for it.

Let’s start with one basic aspect that is probably my favorite part of the game, and that would be hands down the gameplay. Mass Effect Andromeda doubles down on the third-person shooting with jet packs! Andromeda comes jammed packed with brand new weapons that pack a punch, along with some truly fantastic sound design that makes the player really feel the impact of the weaponry.

In the usual Mass Effect fashion, you will also be unlocking psychic powers that can give you an edge over the AI. Thankfully Andromeda takes a page from the first Mass Effect game and puts more of an emphasis on the RPG elements like crafting and individual character stats. This is a welcomed return, as the later games in the trilogy streamlined the progression to a point that it didn’t feel like an RPG anymore.

Though Andromeda does suffer in the character department, the story is quite interesting and the lore that is presented in the new galaxy is well fleshed out. Despite that, I really do miss the lore reader from the original trilogy. Andromeda’s characters are far less love-able than in the main games, but some still shine through. The ones that do (like Vetra, and PeeBee) could definitely give the main cast a run for their money.

Another fantastic returning feature is the loyalty missions. Loyalty missions were first introduced in Mass Effect 2 and they were the strongest part of that game in my opinion. In these side missions, you would help out your squadmates with smaller personal issues that would, in turn, teach you more about an individual and how they found themselves on the Normandy. In Andromeda, the loyalty missions have the same effect and are some of the most enjoyable elements in the game.

Mass Effect Andromeda is not a perfect nor a great game by any means but I would argue that it is worth your time if you loved the original trilogy and/or like action RPGs. The combat is fast and fluid, the game’s environments are absolutely stunning, and the core story is quite interesting. I implore you, give Andromeda another shot and I’m sure you can find some more enjoyment since its original release.

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