Mass Effect Andromeda Review: 3 Ups & 8 Downs
5. Overwhelming Amount Of Systems & Bad Pacing
Within the first two hours of Mass Effect Andromeda you'll be introduced to scanning, assigning skills, assigning profiles (two different things), crafting (both Research and Development), combat percentages, tracking optional side missions alongside your mains - even the tutorial gives you five different map markers on the way to the next cutscene.
It really feels like Bioware have looked at how Ubisoft will pepper a map with scores of things to do, and have somewhat replicated it, yet they've retained a narrative focus and notion of seeing a given plot point through, thereby ruining the appeal of deviation.
Mass Effect 3 suffered from this too, because why would you want to explore the galaxy and find something like 'missing murder trial evidence' when Earth was literally burning? Here in Andromeda they've remedied the idea of a time-sensitive plot, but in the process, load you up with so many objectives at once, you'll not know what to focus on.
Even the so-called 'Primary Ops' often have MMO-style objectives within them, and many involve terraforming a planet so humanity can thrive - thereby meaning you have to visit the same-looking monoliths, complete the same puzzles, collect the same quantities of items and so on, to do so.
The fact of the matter is: When there's so much going on from 'main missions' to exploration to collectible-triggered backstory, there's no sense of pace outside of what you dictate. At any given time you could be unlocking Ryder's past, hunting the Archon, completing loyalty missions and getting to know your crew, acquiring materials to craft better weapons OR slowly terraforming planets to maximise a 'Viability' meter so the Milky Way's races can settle down.
None of these systems are intertwined or reliant on one another, and whilst that may appeal to some, in contrast to how Mass Effect was previously so deft at delivering its story alongside exploration and investigative elements, ultimately, it stands more as a negative.