BioWare doesn't take risks and reuses already known elements and mechanics and the result is a massive game with many hours of fun. Technical issues are obvious, although not so serious to burden five years of development work from a studio that has brought us great moments in the past and will keep doing it in the future. Andromeda exists to be thoroughly explored with that curiosity that fuels the Initiative. It's not perfect, but it's without a doubt enjoyable.

If you could combine the story and memorable quests of the originals with the combat, visuals and scope of Andromeda, you would have the perfect video game, though I think what's offered here will satisfy most. Despite its issues, Andromeda is welcome return to one of my favorite fictional universes, and I am still not ready to let Mass Effect go. I'm not sure I ever will be.

Opinions of Mass Effect: Andromeda will differ greatly based on expectations. The game still provides many hours of enjoyment and lots of the good things that fans have come to expect, but those hoping the series uses this opportunity to take another giant leap may find themselves brought back to Earth with a bump. For everything the development team has done right, there is a little misstep that holds it back, particularly when building the overall story. It's still a highly enjoyable game, but not as stellar as many might have hoped.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an unbalanced experience. It’s an incredibly ambitious game with a colossal scope, but it doesn’t always hit the right notes.

While it’s underwhelming in places, there’s a lot to like as you venture into the weirder parts of Andromeda. Frequent technical issues hamper the experience a bit, as does an uninspiring main story. [June 2017, p66]

Unfortunately, Mass Effect: Andromeda picked up some unwelcome visitors on its long journey to your gaming machine. Though it has some stellar moments, “Andromeda” tries to cram too many ideas into one package, turning its obsession with the bigness of space into a crutch for uncharacteristically shoddy workmanship.

It's also an utter mess in a technical sense. There are a few enjoyable moments here and there, and over time you can see the skeletal framework of a better game start to emerge, but given the heights Mass Effect has reached in the past, it's hard to believe this is what we've been waiting five years for.