Summary
Mass Effectis one of the most beloved science fiction franchises in gaming, but it is not uncritically beloved.Mass Effect 3faced massive pushback for its ending, and plenty of fans take issue with how the original trilogy handled certain characters, groups, and concepts. Still, such criticism is usually crouched in affection for the series rather than disdain.
However, this is less true for 2017’sMass Effect: Andromeda, the originalMass Effect 4. While attitudes towardAndromedahave mellowed over the years,Mass Effect: Andromedanever recovered from its initial rocky release, unlike CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077. Still, the upcomingMass Effect 4has an opportunity to redeemAndromedasimilarly to how CDPR redeemedCyberpunk 2077.
How Mass Effect 4 Can Redeem Andromeda
Cyberpunk 2077 and ME: Andromeda Have a Lot in Common
On the surface,CyberpunkandAndromedamight seem like totally different situations, and that is definitely the case right now. However, it’s worth noting that both games started in a similar situation, having suffered many of the same problems during development. In both cases, the studios were using engines that they had limited experience with. Both teams struggled with personnel issues and poor management decisions, and both projects were released unfinished to make a deadline. As a result, both games suffered from severe technical problems at launch.
It’s easy to forget now, but there was a time when people talked aboutCyberpunk 2077andMass Effect: Andromedain very similar terms. In another universe, that might still be the case today. However, the difference is that EA and BioWare gave up onAndromedanot long after release. While BioWare fixed many bugs, there wasn’t much of an attempt to rehabilitate the game’s image. Furthermore, plot threads intended to continue in DLC or a sequel were left hanging,leavingAndromedafeeling unfinished.
Meanwhile, CDPR never gave up onCyberpunk 2077. The studio not only fixed the bugs but overhauled the entire game in2077’s massive 2.0 updatefrom last year. Since then, it’s continued to update the game with more polish and new features. CDPR, and especially its management, still deserves all the criticism it received for the game’s messy release. However, the studio deserves credit for standing by its game even after a rocky launch.
Mass Effect 4 is the Way Forward
BioWare’s best chance to fixMass Effect: Andromedawas in the years immediately following the game’s release, and it probably isn’t going to go back and change things now. However, there have been multiple clues that the studio hasn’t completely abandonedAndromedaand may plan to useMass Effect 4to tie the two galaxies back together. This gives BioWare a chance to redeemAndromedaby finishing what the original team started.
For example, one leftover mystery inMass Effect: Andromedawas the Andromeda Initiative’s enigmatic Benefactor.Andromedanever revealed the identity of this mysterious person or group, but, as producer Mike Gamble hinted in a 2014 Forbes interview, they would have played a major role in the series’ ongoing meta-story.Gamble is the project director and executive producer ofMass Effect 4, so the new game will likely expand on this and many other dangling threads from the 2017 game.
Tying those up will not solve every problem thatAndromedahas, but it will address the significant issue of the game telling an unfinished story.IfMass Effect 4can useAndromedaas a foundationto build something great, that is how it will be remembered. That won’t turnAndromeda’s ugly duckling into a swan, but it would at least make the spinoff into the start of a great new saga. This will give people a reason to come back and re-evaluate the parts ofMass Effect: Andromedathat did work.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
WHERE TO PLAY
Mass Effect: Andromeda travels deep into the Andromeda Galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way. There, you will lead our fight for a new home in hostile territory where we are the aliens. Take command as the Pathfinder, a leader of a squad of military-trained explorers, with deep progression and customization systems. This is the story of humanity’s next chapter, and your choices throughout the game will ultimately determine our survival in the Andromeda Galaxy. As you unfold the mysteries of the Andromeda Galaxy and the hope for humanity lies on your shoulders, you must ask yourself – how far will you go?
