Since the conclusion of Bioware’s critically acclaimed space opera trilogy “Mass Effect,” the company’s new undertaking, “”Mass Effect: Andromeda,” has been polished and kept under wraps for five long years. For diehard fans like myself, the original series was and is the gold standard for all role-playing and sci-fi videogames– so, naturally, the expectations were sky high for Bioware’s new project. But since its release on March 21, critics and fans alike have been torn on whether or not “Andromeda” is a bust, or if it is a necessary sequel to the franchise. In my opinion, it’s not one or the other– it’s both.

“Mass Effect: Andromeda” deviates largely from the plot and setting of its predecessors. The story takes you to the mysterious Andromeda galaxy as humans and several familiar alien species (such as the Turians, Salarians, Asari and Krogan) of the Milky Way galaxy venture out into the unknown in order to find a new home for their respective populations. New species and ongoing cultural disputes make settling an unexpected challenge for the Pathfinder (your character), as well as the thousands that have risked it all to follow their dreams of exploration and adventure in a journey that took 600 years to accomplish.

It’s a lot, I know. But I’m going to do my best to dissect both the positives and negatives that a game as controversial as “Mass Effect: Andromeda” encompasses.

Exploration and Graphics

When playing any “Mass Effect” game, it’s extremely apparent how creative the Bioware team can get when creating new planets and terrains. “Andromeda” is no different, and it is an absolutely breath-taking place to explore. Each planet boasts all kinds of flora and creatures that can be compared to the “Star Wars” cinematic universe.  Being in an all new galaxy gives Bioware the freedom to experiment with anything and everything space has to offer. Every planet feels unique and fleshed out as the open-world exploration is the best it’s ever been, especially with the aid of the Nomad, a rover-like vehicle that allows the player to traverse each new area quickly and easily.

However, a common complaint by players is the absolutely horrific facial animations. If I had a nickel for every meme and joke that has been made about “Andromeda’s” unpolished facial designs and animations– you get the point. Recent updates have made for a better visual experience, but there is no disguising the fact that “Andromeda’s” predecessor, “Mass Effect 3,” was light years ahead in terms of facial animations despite being five years older than “Andromeda.” It’s a laughable effort by Bioware and ultimately takes away a lot of the immersion of the game. Personally, it wasn’t a fatal flaw, and I was able to overlook it. But for many, it turned dramatic cutscenes and dialogue sequences into a sitcom.

Story and Side Quests

An aspect of the game that I wish was a bit more fleshed out is the story. While the concept is intriguing and immediately captivating, it sometimes becomes too convoluted and hard to follow. What makes it worse is that the dialogue isn’t passionate or inspired– what was an absolute staple in the “Mass Effect” franchise is now a crippling flaw. As much as I love learning about Andromeda’s lore and interacting with NPCs, it’s upsetting to have to skip through countless sections of dialogue for the simple reason that it can be too monotonous. Also, without spoiling the plot, the sequel retreads a lot of what made its predecessor unique. The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t apply in “Andromeda” and I was disappointed to see common themes and plot ideas from the originals find their way into the sequel.

On the bright side, there’s an abundance of things to do during your stay in Andromeda. Although tedious at times, side quests come fast and frequent as you fly from planet to planet solving the countless problems that settlers and alien species may have. Some are as far-reaching as fixing an entire planet’s climate so that it is habitable, whereas some can be as small as tracking down a stowaway hamster on your spaceship.

Combat

Another major success in “Andromeda” is the combat. Earlier “Mass Effect” games were clunky and boring in terms of gunplay and battles, but “Andromeda” has revamped its combat system and has turned hunting ravenous alien pirates and robots into an utter joy. All- new character customization allows players to craft new weapons and attain a wide variety of combat-related powers and abilities depending on what your playstyle is and how you deal with enemies.

As “Mass Effect: Andromeda” is on a budget of only $40 million (a relatively small amount for a prominent franchise like ¨Mass Effect¨), it’s clear that Bioware was forced to make some tough decisions on where they wanted to invest their efforts. It’s obvious that combat was where they wanted to make their biggest impact. Bioware is expanding and ushering in a new audience into their franchise– those who enjoy shooters and action-games will feel right at home in Andromeda.

Characters

The odd thing is, I can forgive just about every flaw that I’ve stated above. With everything that “Andromeda” does right, a lackluster story, boring script and sub-par facial animations are negligible in my opinion.

But there is one inexcusable, insulting and heart-breaking inadequacy that no one saw coming and no one should forgive. Such a shortcoming should make Bioware ashamed and embarrassed to say the least, and those who appreciate video games as a medium for art should shudder at the next few words I’m going to utter.

The characters are boring.

Yes, the most beloved aspect of the “Mass Effect” franchise, its claim to fame, has been mercilessly stripped away. Don’t get me wrong, there are some characters that are interesting, fleshed out, and have meaningful backgrounds, such as Peebee, Jaal, and Drack– but they are few and far between. “Mass Effect” is more than a sci-fi shooter, it is and has always been a series that has focused on the theme of unifying diverse species for a purpose, as well as the interpersonal relationships that you can form between your squadmates. It’s a shame that Bioware didn’t make their characters, which are the lifeblood of their games, more impactful or interesting enough for players to care about them as much as they did in the originals.

Final Verdict

At the end of the day, “Mass Effect: Andromeda” is not the home run that myself or critics hoped it to be. For fans of the originals, it’s both a fun and interesting new direction for the franchise. Certain aspects of the game are better than they’ve ever been before, such as the exploration and combat. But “Andromeda” falters in its characters and story– arguably the most important part of the game. However, there is hope. As this is the first in Bioware’s new trilogy, these issues can be resolved in future games. The first “Mass Effect,” released in 2007, was riddled with problems similar to “Andromeda”– but its sequel, “Mass Effect 2,” knocked it out of the park and became the series’ most popular installment to date. For every complaint that critics have thrown at Bioware, you can bet that they’ll be ready to prove them wrong in the coming years.

Final Score: 7/10