Mass Effect Andromeda Review: 3 Ups & 8 Downs

4. It Repeats One Major Plot Point From The Trilogy

I'm going to delve into spoilers for this one entry - not the repercussions of what actually happens afterwards, but the events themselves, because in the moment, I couldn't believe how similar a couple of Andromeda's biggest plot moments are carbon copies of what went before.

First up, like choosing between helping the Krogan and keeping on Wrex's good side on the Virmire mission in Mass Effect 1, Andromeda asks you to make a similar race-related decision involving the Angara, resulting in Ryder having to choose whether or not to help them - the latter aggravating Jaal, your newest squadmate.

Said decision itself is strike two, as it's revealed the Kett are actually just Angarans who have undergone 'Exaltation'; a process where they're transformed biologically and mentally into mindless warriors. This is beat for beat the same twist as Mass Effect 2's 'the Collectors are the Protheans' reveal, though Andromeda tries to go one further by explaining that another ancient race called the Jardaan created the Angarans in the first place.

Sadly, this latter twist only comes up in one exchange with Jaal when he's forced to reconcile that his entire race were born from test tubes, and although this would've made for a neat comparison to how the Milky Way arcs arrived in Andromeda, it's cast aside.

Lastly, although the final mission is an 'all roads converge' explosion of set-piece fun that sees every major character get involved, it's played up like Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission, where the game really wants you to believe that you're going up against a power that could terraform the galaxy.

Where it shoots and blasts its own foot clean off though, is in telling you before the mission, that you will be able to continue exploring and playing afterwards, somewhat ruining the stakes and making the Archon feel like more of a nuisance than a necessary or imposing antagonist.