Mass Effect: Andromeda, the latest sci-fi epic from Bioware, has been in the hands of fans for little over a week now (longer for the early access users), and from some, the reception has been...less than warm. Fans have complained of buggy gameplay, a sub-par plot, limited character creation options, and wonky character animations, to name a few of the reported transgressions. MEA comes roughly six years on the heels of Mass Effect 3, the last entry in the original trilogy which kicked off in 2007. That title faced arguably the worst backlash from enraged fans in recent video game history after users perceived that the final entry in a series that was all about player choices boiled down to an ending that just didn't cut it. Following this critical reception, Bioware worked to fix the issue in the DLC release, but the solution ultimately polarized fans of the series.
Six years later, that controversy is fresh in fans' minds, so it is no wonder they've been critical of MEA. It's understandabl:; fans want to know that their concerns are being heard, that their time, money, and emotions are being placed in a quality product. They want an experience as grand as the last trilogy, without the disappointment that came with the end of it. In other words, fans have had huge expectations. And maybe that is the problem.
Unreal Expectations
There's probably very few people who wanted their adventure with Commander Shepard to end. Anyone who stayed true to the original objective of destroying the reapers and choosing red were rewarded with a brief, but maddening tease of not-so-dead Shepard gasping for breath beneath a pile of rubble. It followed that the logical next step was a game that took place after the events of that battle, so when the news came informing everyone of what was actually happening, fans collectively sighed. But whether the story of Shepard continued on or not from that point, the tale was bound to end eventually. Stories, whether we want them to or not, inevitably come to an end.
In light of this, fans eventually began to speculate about the future of the franchise. Shepard's time was over, but his legacy had to live on. Or so they all thought. Each tidbit shared about MEA up to its release made it ever apparent that the original trilogy's events would have no impact on the new story. It was a tough pill to swallow because of fans expectations.
The trouble was that those expectations were simply too high. This likely would've been true regardless of whether Bioware tried to meet them or not. Where do you take a story that grew to such a large scale? How do you top a galactic extinction event? Well... you don't. The stakes wouldn't be as high, the enemy as threatening, or the times as dire. The reaper threat was the peak of the original trilogy's universe, and the only place to go was down.
Part of what is so upsetting for fans, technical issues aside, are the unchecked, unacknowledged expectations going into MEA. The characters are brand new and don't have a place in anyone's heart yet. The story has nothing to do with the struggles dealt with previously, and don't seem as engrossing yet. But that's how it was at the start of Mass Effect. The player had to warm up to it, give Garrus a chance to become the best Turian bro ever. You had to build Shepard's legacy from scratch and let the story unfold. Most importantly, you had to give it a chance to become what it did.
Whether you're someone new to Mass Effect or a returning fan, enter this new experience with an open mind. The original trilogy is over, that must be accepted. The things you love about Mass Effect are still around, so don't despair. And those damned technical issues will be addressed. All Andromeda needs to succeed is a chance.
