9 Great Video Games That Did Not Deserve The Hate

9. Mass Effect: Andromeda

If ever there was a game that did not deserve the sheer, unrelenting vitriol that was spewed at it, it is Andromeda. And all of that scorn and ridicule was based, almost exclusively, on the spectre of a wonky expression seen on a female Ryder. A near 60 hour campaign, all ignored on the basis of a few seconds.

And yet those 60 hours contained so much brilliance.

Ryder is that rare thing in video game protagonists – a human being. Unlike the power fantasy that is Shepard, Ryder is awkward, insecure, uncertain. They struggle, and so too do her squad mates, with doubt, familial relationships, old age. It is one of the most relatable video game casts ever created.

The world they adventure in is absolutely breathtaking with expansive, distinct environments that the player takes an active hand in restoring, and to see those changes bear fruit is immensely rewarding.

Gunplay is fantastic. No longer is the player tied to cover, but is able to dominate the battlefield using skills available to all the game's classes, in real time, in the same battle.

The story is one of hope, of optimism and new beginnings, and while the threat of the Kett builds slowly once it reaches crisis point, the action is every bit as epic and tense as anything seen in previous titles.

The music is outstanding, the voice acting on point, the writing of a high standard.

And yet all of Andromeda’s fine qualities were completely ignored, all for glitches and missteps in animation that are far from game-breaking and easily forgiven. The internet, despite good reviews from critics, decided to hate it. The result was Anthem, and nobody needed that.