Casual Reassessment Part 2--The Open World Dilemma

After playing my way through Mass Effect:  Andromeda I have been trying to work to understand the things I liked and disliked about the newest addition to my favorite space RPG.  I tried listing out the things I enjoyed and the things that I felt were weaknesses.  In the end I think Andromeda suffers from something that I've seen often in the most recent BioWare games but also see in other series--the need to create an expansive world that's chocked full o' stuff.  The real challenge, and one that I think very few RPG-makers have gotten remotely right, is to make all the "stuff" meaningful.  Andromeda suffers from a glut of meaningless map-filler--resource nodes to mine, Remnant ruins to explore, Kett camps to storm--but what do you get out of completing that filler?  Some loot that you don't really need.  A happy little blue icon on your map.  Is is satisfying?  Sure, in a very minor way.  But is it enjoyable?  Not so much.

In my quest for understanding I decided that it would be interesting to go back and replay the original Mass Effect as a point of comparison.  Mass Effect is a ten year old game so the mechanics have drastically changed since it's release in 2007 aaaand of course things like graphics are going to be much better in a modern game.  One of the weird things I noticed last night was how much less bored I am.  Even when I'm exploring the same bunker layout over and over there is an overlying story that makes it interesting.  I'm freeing a hostage from crazed biotics or I'm eliminating a Cerberus base in my attempt to find a missing Alliance officer.  I can think of very few instances in Andromeda where there is some kind of interesting story linked into all the exploration.

As another point of comparison I started thinking about The Witcher 3 and how well it manages to incorporate aspects of an open world with story-based elements.  There are definitely shades of the icon checklist game but it doesn't feel as empty because there's always a well-written quest to break up the monotony of exploration.  Or there's something fun to do--horse racing or Gwent.  Andromeda could definitely take a page from The Witcher 3 and add in missions with a storyline as opposed to empty fetch n' grinds.

The Thorian.  It's ugly, but at least it's interesting.

Story is something that needs to become a focal point for Andromeda.  All too often as I was playing I felt that it was simply a rubber-stamp of what a Mass Effect game should be--cool ship--check, quirky crew--check, central Citadel-like hub--check, advanced mysterious alien race--check, aliens with sinister motives--check.  We need something fresh!  Last night I played through the Mass Effect mission on Feros and I remembered how awesome it really is.  You have a sentient plant-like being that defies classification that can telepathically control other species AND it can create clones from captured aliens.  The Thorian is great sci-fi writing!  What does Andromeda give us?  Nothing even remotely close to the Thorian.

One of my other major gripes has to do with the need for Andromeda to feel more like the alternate universe that it is supposed to be.  The environments in the game are beautiful, but they don't have that same "space" feeling that I get when I'm bouncing the Mako along a mountainous path in Mass Effect.  Too often the environments feel familiar--Eos could be Arizona.  I recently watched the movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (let me just insert here that it's not a good movie and you should skip it) and one thing I enjoyed was the interesting aliens.  Shapeshifting blue jelly-like creatures, robots that look like jellyfish in jars, the beautiful sparkly aliens of the planet Mul..  Those aliens felt genuinely, well, alien.  Take note Andromeda.

With the recent-ish semi-news that there won't be any singleplayer DLC for Andromeda it may be quite awhile before we hear anything about the next step in the series.  I think that Andromeda can be salvaged if BioWare really tries to play to its traditional strengths and not try to play the e-peen "game of maps" (you know...the one to see who can create the biggest playable areas).  A focus on writing memorable and meaningful missions and stories, a cast of interesting characters with their own motivations (be they good or bad OR something in-between), and some more alien...aliens could really spice up a series that has sadly grown way too bland.

Casual Reassessment--Part 1--The Team

I've just completed my second playthrough of the polarizing Mass Effect:  Andromeda and I am actually glad that I gave it another go.  My first playthrough left me feeling slightly frustrated and disappointed in the continuation of one of my favorite series.  After giving it more consideration I have more to add or to at least think about...and, of course, lots of unanswered questions.

Firstly, let me sum up the major differences between my two playthroughs--this time around I opted to make my Ryder male.  I enjoyed the male character much more than in the previous Mass Effect games and might have even felt like the voice acting was better than the female version.  For talents I initially wanted to go with an infiltrator style (stealth and sniping) but found that without the benefit of the concentration module from previous games (that slightly slowed combat allowing you to lurk around the edges and easily headshot...everything) it wasn't as fun.  Instead I decided to make Scott Ryder more of an engineer type--my go-to powers were tech combos of incinerate and overload paired up with a cryo spitting assault turret.  I was pleasantly surprised at how effective and fun the tech tree turned out to be.  When it came down to personality I decided that this character would be more of a casual joker than my much more serious and logical lady Ryder.  I did my best to make different decisions than my first character but found that I struggled with some of the major choices.  It seems like there's always something that I just can't justify in my head--like not helping the Krogan on Elaaden.  Why not just give them the Remnant drive core?  You get a settlement and you help the Krogan out--seems like a win, win kind of situation.

I am finding that I feel much more favorably about Andromeda after my second full run.  The crew has grown on me and I tried to spend more time trying to understand and pay attention to their individual backstories.  If I had to rank the crew from my favorite to least favorite crew members here's how I'd do it:

PeeBee--I love her unique personality and general zaniness.  It's nice to see an Asari character who isn't so serious.  She was my romantic choice for Scott Ryder.

Jaal--He offers a lot of insight into Angaran culture and his banter with almost all the other characters
is genuinely funny and at times can be quite analytical.

Grandpa Drack to the rescue.

Drack--He's the grandpa Krogan that we have never had.  I also have an admitted soft spot for
the Krogan and their cute little laughs after acts of violence.

Vetra--Like PeeBee, Vetra seems to have been clearly written as an outsider.  She's had to take on the role of a parent and do whatever it takes to keep her and Sid alive.  She can be prickly but I like that she stands up for herself and her choices.

Suvi--She has grown on me.  Any time a video game character starts in on spirituality...it's usually a yawner.  If you look past that aspect of her personality there is a genuinely curious scientist underneath.  I appreciated the humorous banter about licking rocks, taste testing the Heleus flora, and leaving items absent mindedly scattered around the Tempest.

Lexi--Unfortunately there's not a lot of Lexi to love...she's a side character with a minor backstory.
Her character is much more of the typical Asari and she and PeeBee don't really get a along.
Natalie Dormer's voice though...that's enough for me to rank her above other characters.

Gil--I still don't really fully understand Gil...even after two playthroughs.  He's gay, he's funny, he
is good at poker, he likes to tinker on the ship.

Cora--I ranked Cora fairly low because I feel like she's Ashley Williams without the space racism.   She's still a character who could have had a lot of potential but was stifled by lack of a good
story.  Like Ashley's annoying fascination with poetry, Cora likes to spout Asari maxims.  I
want Cora to be cooler.

Kallo--I am a little bummed by how little we actually get to know Kallo.  The bulk of his interactions
involve his arguments with Gil over how to operate the Tempest.  You learn virtually nothing about him.

Liam--I have now decided that I'm not a big fan of Liam.  He comes off as being a little immature
and irrational.  He does things without thinking.  He's also not really that interesting as a
character.

There are some standouts on your crew and there are some duds.  With some better writing and more character development I feel like the crew could turn out to be a memorable group of misfits.  I really wish someone would fix Cora...her story has potential.

Like/Hate/Question--Mass Effect: Andromeda

While I'm playing through Andromeda again I decided I am going to keep of list of things I like, I hate, and that I don't really understand.  It's like the gaming version of marry, boff, kill, only one million times lamer.  I'm going to try to update as I play.  (This could be a little spoilery--beware)

Like:

Entry #1:

1.) The Nomad.  Even though I'm not a big fan of the exploration aspect of Andromeda I have to admit that I very much enjoy speeding around in the Nomad.

2.) PeeBee and Drack banter.  PeeBee is my favorite Andromeda character and her conversations with Drack are hilarious.  You learn more about her character through those conversations than through chatting with her aboard the Tempest.  Things I learned:

     --Black makeup is a weird quirk that she enjoys.

     --Her father is an Elcor!  Yes, a big, plodding, weird Elcor.
 
(#2)
On a banter related note--it feels like there is quite a bit of banter.  Since it doesn't really matter who you take with you while you're exploring, I decided to mix it up and experience some of the different banter combos.  Here's what I've learned:

     --Cora is an only child.  There was some pre-release talk that she shares the same last name as
        the Illusive Man and might be his offspring.  I don't know that I'm seeing that.  She and Jaal
        came along for some lengthy exploring on Voeld and much of their conversation fixated on her
        family situation.  The other part fixated on her career experiences as an Asari commando (which
        gets a little annoying after awhile).

     --If you feel like listening to two people bicker the entire time you should try a Liam and Vetra
        combo.  I didn't realize how much their personalities were incompatible.  Liam thinks Vetra
        is irresponsible for dragging her sister to Andromeda and Vetra doesn't appreciate Liam's
        laissez-faire attitude.  They grudgingly get along.

     --PeeBee and Vetra have some interesting conversations.  PeeBee reveals that she had a much
        older sister--500 years older--and relates to Vetras situation with her younger sister.  Vetra can
        be a little prickly about certain topics but reveals that she's had a tough life and has had to do
        whatever she can to keep things doable for her and Sid.

3.) Ryder as a hero you build  By the time we met Shepard in Mass Effect he/she was already a hero in their own right--N7 status, storied career, serving alongside the SPECTRE's...but Ryder has leadership fall into his/her lap and has to figure things out.  I also like the fact that Ryder has a defined background where Shepard was all about current events.  The Ryders could work out as sustainable characters.

4.) Beautiful environments.  Whether you're buzzing around space in the Tempest or setting down on solid ground, everything looks amazing.  When I first played I was amazed by how detailed the galaxy felt--space seemed to have all the little details that you would see in pictures taken by telescopes.  Once you land on any of the planets this feeling is even further compounded (I would love to snap some screenshots but haven't been able to get any tools to work in-game).  Eos feels like this haunting wasteland--it's eerie exploring the ruins of the failed colonies--Havarl has this ominous jungle feeling...like something is going to pop out of the foliage and attack you at any minute.  Even though I have felt that the exploration aspect is one of the weaker parts of the game I still find myself taking a moment to take in the views.

(#3)
H-047c is one of my favorite zones in the game.  It's basically a giant, floating hunk of former planet but to me it feels more like space.  The low gravity, the gaping fissures of death (drive cautiously!), and the amazing views make it unique.  Arguably it's also a little lame--you can't leave the Nomad so there's no exploration besides the few protected mining dome/outlaw camps.  After spending hours and hours of doing exploring on other planets, I find H-047c to be a welcome change.

(#2)
5.) Story/loyalty missions.  This is where Andromeda felt like the Mass Effect of yore...the good ol' days that everyone yearns for.  I was playing through Cora's loyalty mission to rescue the Asari ark and realized that I was enjoying it (...and Cora is not one of my favorite characters).  I like the way that you get a clearer picture of the chaos of the Kett attack as you're exploring the abandoned rooms.  The Asari managed to hang on by a thread.

Hate:

Entry #1:

1.) I cannot romance Lexi T'Perro.  Why make an Asari with Natalie Dormer's amazing voice and then not have a romantic option?  When she talks it makes me happy.  Now I'm sad.

2.) Missed dialogue opportunities.  For example--when you find and unlock the Nomad it comes speeding out of its crate.  So cool!  All the characters just stand there and look at it.  How much better would that moment had been with some goofy grins or jokes about who gets "shotgun?"

3.) How completely useless my companions are.  I really miss the ability to issue commands and to be able to effectively combine their powers and the fact that the AI is bad.  Example:  Found a Remnant Destroyer in a vault.  Commanded my companions to attack the turrets--both went rushing headlong to face it and were down in a matter of seconds.  I had to figure out how to finish it off on my own.  Why even have companions in combat?

(#2)

4.) Tasks that require you to find items that spawn randomly around the map.  I made it a goal to try to complete more of these but I am finding that I am running out of patience.  I've been searching for weapons caches and datapads on Kadara for much longer than I would prefer.  I'm tired of crashing the always respawning camps full of outlaws only to find that the item isn't there.  Just make the dang things spawn in a set location!

5.) Architects = Space Dragons.  Dragon fights in Dragon Age:  Inquisition were one of the highlights and they've directly yanked this concept and applied it to Andromeda.  I don't mind the idea of having a "boss" fight but I wish they had at least given the Architects some sort of variety.  Every Architect fight is exactly the same...with the dragons you got some variety when it came down to the types of attacks they used--fire, ice, or nature/electric damage.  Ice Architect, maybe?

Question:

Entry #1:

1.) To scan or not to scan--that is the question.  On Eos there are these huge Kett structures--while completing a mission for Bane Massani you learn that they are power generators.  It seems weird that there is no explanation for these massive structures other than within that specific mission. I feel the same way about the Kett camps that have the large hammer structures.  What the heck are those for?  How come there is no explanation?  I guess you just sort of figure out from the seismic hammer missions that the Kett are also trying to do something with the Architects.  It would be nice if there was at least a little explanation.  Or maybe some missions about destroying those camps...SOMETHING!

2.) Is it just me or does there seem to be fewer opportunities the chat up your squadmates?  Maybe it's just how spread out the story can be if you spend many hours working on exploration.  I've actually found out more about some characters from their banter in the Nomad than having regular conversations.

(#2)
3.) Stasis.  In order to reach Andromeda everyone had to be in stasis for 634 years.  The more I think about this...the more I hate it as a device used to move the plot forward.  How would the whole initiative even work?  How could they realistically assure that their tech would hold out for that long and keep everyone alive?  How would their supplies last for that long?  I totally get it that they are trying to move away from the concept of mass relays--since those were apparently trashed in the third game.

One of the big things that bothers me is the whole concept of waking up 600 years later.  It's touched on throughout the game--many of Ryder's chats revolve around the reasons why people chose Andromeda.  So the people who chose to go to Andromeda did it knowing that they were leaving behind everyone and everything and that they would never see them again?  Yet in some conversations I get the impression that there is still at least a possibility of communicating with the Milky Way.  It's confusing.  

Second Chances

It has been awhile since I've played Mass Effect:  Andromeda--a game that is extremely divisive among many gamers.  I decided to take a break from running my female prison empire in Prison Architect to re-visit a game that I felt slightly ambivalent about...alright, more than slightly...but it's Mass Effect--a series that I love!  There have been several patches since I last played so I figured it was time to check out the hopefully much more polished version.  It really doesn't seem to matter how much the game is patched and improved--the vitriol is still virtually coagulating anywhere I see news related to Andromeda.  There are some very angry nerds who will toss gasoline onto that fire any chance that they get.

Before I even started my new adventure in the Heleus cluster I found out that these new patches have caused some slight graphical hiccups.  Whenever I started the game I was greeted with a black screen for a semi-long period and then it would finally start.  Once it started it would only display in windowed mode.  Clearly this was not going to work.  After some searching for fixes that were on my technical level (the very basic level) I found that the problem was easily fixable.  If you run into this problem all you need to do is change your display resolution in Windows to something different than normal and then change it back.  Granted this was an easy fix but not much of a good re-start.

For my current playthrough I decided to go with a male Ryder just to compare differences in experience.  In the past I have shown nothing but ardent loyalty to the female version (mostly because the character was acted so much better) and was skeptical about how Scott Ryder would pan out.  So far I am enjoying the male character--he's way better than male Shepard.

While designing my Ryder I ran into a personal quirk that is totally hypocritical.  When designing my female characters I always try to create someone who I would think of as realistic--no long, flowy hair because long hair gets in your face and blocks your vision; no super makeup-tastic facial manipulation--what lady hero has time for eyeliner?  These kinds of thoughts go through my head.  However, when designing my male characters my thoughts are "he must be beautiful!"  And all my male characters end up looking like male models.  I know how wrong it is--but check out my hot Ryder--->

Too pretty to be shot at.

My lady Ryder was more of a logical-thinker who didn't act impulsively.  This time I decided that pretty boy Ryder should be more of an emotional jokester who acts before they think.  It has been well established that the dialogue writing for Andromeda wasn't on par with the other games and there have been some very cringey moments--after the fight to rescue the Moshae on Voeld while you're bargaining with the Cardinal there was a line that literally was "I'm gonna fuck your shit up."  Ugh, why?  They really couldn't come up with something less juvenile?

I also decided that I was going to play through the story a little differently.  The first time around I tried to do a bunch of the exploration based stuff before the main storyline.  This time I decided I was going to advance the story much more before I embarked on planetary settlement.  In this choice I noticed that the game is very different if you just focus on the story.  It feels much more like the Mass Effect games of the past.  I found myself paying more attention to what was actually going on as opposed to playing a few hours of story and then many, many hours of empty exploration.  Sadly the exploration part of Andromeda still feels like a weakness--I keep finding myself getting bored and irritated.  Tasks that require items to spawn at random "camps" around the map are annoying.  I told myself I would complete more of the "tasks" this time--probably a mistake.

I'm trying to keep my eyes peeled for any of the big changes that were patched in since the last time I played.  I have noticed that the facial animation is better--I haven't witnessed any weird grimacing or really "off" expressions that were widely panned in the early days.  Foster Addison does look like she's having a better time.  I'm glad they fixed it.  Despite fixing the glaring animation issues there are smaller minor issues that could still use some tweaking.

I'm doing my best to keep an open mind and to try to find the diamonds in the rough as I play.  Unfortunately for Andromeda there seems to be more rough than diamonds.

Venti Orc Slaying

I'm always a little bit sad when the Steam Sales are over.  There's something exciting about logging in to check out the daily deals and play the goofy minigames or collect stickers.  I made over $2 on event trading cards (this in no way offsets the amount of money that I spent)!  Currently I'm trying to sort through my purchases and see if my money was well spent.  So far most of my purchases have been highly enjoyable and well worth the sale price.

The first game I decided to check out was Middle-earth:  Shadow of  Mordor.  As a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies I was initially intrigued by the game but hesitant because it seemed like something I wouldn't normally play.  But hey, that's what sales are for--so you can take risks at a low, low price.  I picked up Shadow of Mordor for $4.99--for the same price as a fancy cup of coffee I can spend countless hours murdering orcs (and now it's on sale for $4!).  And dammit if orc murdering isn't a whole lotta fun!

The orc captain that just wouldn't die.

In Shadow of Mordor you play as a slain and then possessed/cursed ranger named Talion.  Talion and fam are killed by a particularly nasty group of orcs that are led by an enigmatic figure known as the Black Hand.  Fortunately a friendly elf wraith decides to use Talion to help break his own curse.  This means that Talion can utilize his own highly powerful abilities as well as those of his ghostly pal...oh, and he can't die...because he's already dead.  Yeah, it's all kinds of awesome.

The story follows Talion as he attempts to learn the identity and track down the Black Hand.  To me, it isn't the story that makes Shadow of Mordor a highly enjoyable game--hands down, it's the combat.  I'm the kind of person who loves a game with a strong story and detailed characters so I was surprised to find myself straying so far away from the main objectives to simply track down orc captains.  You have some options when it comes to combat--you can be the stealthy, sneaky type or you can brute force your way through most situations.  The stealthy approach offers more experience and makes for some of the most enjoyable kills.

Probably the most unique part of the game is the nemesis system.  I had read a little about it before I purchased the game but didn't really understand it until I saw it in action.  As part of the main storyline you learn that there are orc warchiefs who serve even higher ranking members of the Black Hand's entourage.  By killing those warchiefs you can draw out these high ranking characters and then fight them.  Below the warchiefs are the captains who have more powerful combat abilities than your typical orc.  Captains serve the warchiefs as bodyguards so unless you feel like taking on a warchief and ALL his bodyguards it is usually a good idea to take them out first.  Things get really interesting when you die--Talion can't actually die, but he can be killed and then brought back by his wraithy friend.  If you are killed by a captain he will gain power and rank--there's a whole shuffling that takes place upon your death.  Orcs move up the ladder and replace other captains that you have killed and they gain special powers which make them even tougher to kill the next time around.  If at all possible, try to avoid dying.

Pash after 3ish evolutions.  We were BFF's.

The best part about this system is that there's always a captain around that needs killing.  And,  every once in awhile one of those captains decides that he doesn't want to stay dead and keeps coming back even stronger.  In my case it was the orc Pash the Devourer.  Pash was a normal looking captain...then he sprouted a metal protuberance from his head and was generally unhappy with my continued desire to kill him.

He finally met his demise as my nemesis before the final sequence to end the game...or did he?

Another interesting feature is the ability to complete vendetta missions.  If an orc captain happens to slay you, another player (in their own game) can target that particular captain and kill them.  You get extra experience for completing a vendetta and it's oddly satisfying seeing the message that you have been avenged.

Shadow of Mordor is possibly the best $4.99 that I've ever spent.  I played through the main campaign and had a blast (I will admit that I got a little bored at one point).  The graphics are fabulous, it runs like a charm, and the combat is highly enjoyable (if not a bit on the easy side...unless you get a particularly evolved captain--I got one whose only vulnerability was to fire...that was a rough fight).  Right now it's on sale for $4...the same price as a latte but with way more dead orcs.