I played a lot of Andromeda (approximately 20 hours) last week. Here are my thoughts thus far:
- BioWare were not lying when they said that the game was, at its heart, about exploration. That's exactly what it's about. Whereas I felt the original trilogy was about people, politics, and relationships, Andromeda wants you to drive around a lot and immerse yourself in its worlds. This can get frustrating at times, like when you have to drive to six different locations on the map before progressing in a quest. However, it can also be absolutely wonderful, like when you first establish an outpost on a new planet and genuinely feel like a trail blazer.
- The loyalty missions are awesome. Just fantastic. Part of the reason why is that they're almost like a tribute to Mass Effect 2, where you'll spend a shorty, snappy 30 minutes fighting people and speaking with squad mates. Each one really deepened my appreciation for the game's new characters.
- Combat is loads of fun. It took a bit to get used to, but holy crap is playing as a Vanguard awesome.
- There are many areas where I feel the game regressed compared to the original trilogy. For example, some facial animations, movement, glitches that prevent you from completing side quests, etc. I don't personally think that any of these things are game changers, but if you're someone who really values absolute top-tier quality in all respects, you will probably be put off.
- On a final note, while I have almost entirely ignored the social media reception to the game for a couple of weeks, I did see an article where BioWare had to release an official statement that firmly requested people to stop harassing a misidentified employee of theirs over the bad facial animations. That kind of thing is complete nonsense and is reflective of an online gaming culture that is sometimes really toxic. Like, seriously, calm the hell down, people.
Anyhow, I'm really enjoying the game overall.