TheMass Effecttrilogy is one of the biggest franchises of the last 15 years, garnering many fans and well-deserved critical acclaim. Each entry adds to the story of the Milky Way galaxy & its inhabitants, as existence itself battles for survival against increasingly insurmountable odds.
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Mass Effectis full of detailedcharacters, all of which come with developed personalities and rich backstories. From the most important characters, down to the ones with very limited screen time, these individuals are what brings the series to life and make theMass Effectuniverse worth exploring.Andromeda, while not a terrible game, was the most flawed of the franchise and derailed the momentum theMass Effecttrilogy built– but it wasn’t all bad. Fans are eagerly awaiting news of when they can jump back intoBioWare’sspace opera, but in the meantime, here are 5 things fromAndromedawe want fromMass Effect5(And 5 We Don’t).
10Want: Exploration
Andromedaopened up the world ofMass Effectby allowing players to explore vast areas on various planets. This finally gave fans what they had been wanting sinceMass Effect2, the ability to traverse the galaxy and explore the many planets within. No matter what galaxyMass Effect 5is set in, the ability to not only see these worlds but visit them in some capacity is essential.
9Don’t Want: No Frostbite Engine
This one might be wishful thinking, as it seems likeEAis determined to force every one of their games to run on Frostbite. To be fair, there are examples of games running on the engine that perform very well, unfortunately at launchAndromedawas not one of them. The engine just doesn’t work well with games as detailed asMass EffectorDragon Ageand seems to be most compatible with first-person shooters, which is why it should be kept far away fromMass Effect5.
8Want: Improved Combat
Andromeda’scombat was a bright spot for the game, maintainingMass Effect’s familiar cover system while adding a few layers to improve on the formula. Ryder’s jetpack brings a verticality to battles not present in earlier games, adding new strategic elements beyond the standard shoot and cover system. Covering was also made easier in allowing players to enter cover by simply moving next to an object.
Let’s be real. Ryder is not Shepard. Not even close, and truthfully he didn’t need to be. Unfortunately, no matter which character was chosen to leadMass Effect’snext installment, they were going to have enormous shoes to fill due to the popularity of Commander Shepard. He was just fun to play as.Rydersimply wasn’t a good replacement and lacked most of what made Shepard so appealing.
6Want: Diverse Cast
TheMass Effectfranchise has always had a superb cast of characters to surround the lead, and that tradition carried over toAndromeda. Having a rich and diverse cast brings the world to life in a way that makes players crave exploration & conversation. This is what makesMass Effect,Mass Effect. Without the other entities for the player to interact with, the galaxy would have been a much lonelier place, and the journey through these games much less fulfilling.
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5Don’t Want: Character Creator
The facial animations in general were not very good inAndromeda, and its character creation suite follows that trend of mediocrity. It’s difficult to create characters that at the very least look normal, let alone appealing. It’s all just very clunky and not nearly as robust as otherBioWaretitles. Players were able to create characters in the firstMass Effectthat they would want to play for multiple titles.Andromeda’sfacial animations made it hard to want to play through even one game with its odd-looking models.
4Want: Felt Like Mass Effect
Andromedano doubt had its issues, but no matter what your gripe is with the game, you can’t say it didn’t feel likeMass Effect. Technical problems aside, as soon as gamers were thrown into a firefight and ducked into cover, it’s hard to forget what made these games so enjoyable in the first place. The game had that style and flair found in the original trilogy, even if it was hidden behind subpar leads, weird facial animations, and technical bugs.
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3Don’t Want: Character Animations
So the character animations were bad. The game itself was full of bugs and glitches at launch, many of which have been fixed through post-launch updates, but that doesn’t excuse how bad the animations were. For a series as highly regarded asMass Effect, it’s a shame that the game had to launch with so many technical issues. There was so much hype approaching release, and rightfully so– it was a newMass Effectgame after all– but forEAandBioWareto release such a glitchy mess is inexcusable. For the sake of the series,Mass Effect 5can’t release in the same way.
2Want: Original Trilogy References
Although very few, some of the best moments ofAndromedawere when the game referenced the original trilogy. The lore ofMass Effectis incredibly deep, filled with many characters and events that could have been explored more inAndromeda.BioWaredecided to replace some of the most loved characters in gaming and for some, they just didn’t compare to the originals. This put the game at a huge disadvantage, one it didn’t need since it already had huge shoes to fill.
Related:Mass Effect Andromeda: Every Romance Option, Ranked
1Don’t Want: Andromeda Galaxy
TheMass Effectfranchise needs to return to the Milky Way galaxy. There is no way around it. Despite selling decently,Andromedajust wasn’t well received, and fans aren’t fond of the setting nor its characters. Bring it back to the Milky Way, and either make a direct sequel toMass Effect 3or a prequel to the first. No matter whatAndromedadid successfully, the game has left a terrible taste in the mouth of longtime fans, leaving them waiting for a return to form. Hopefully, one day,BioWarewill deliver.
