You mean “grind”. You don’t even get to choose how much grinding because if your player is that shit they won’t get to play often, if at all. The virtual coach sets the lineups. Based on the work above this is around 20 hours at minimum of underleveld grinding.

And people wonder why people pirate games.

Exactly, there’s a huge (both in quality and game length/play time) game with Zelda and a bunch of smaller but still pretty cool games already, too.

Having PS4, Xbox 1 and PC makes zero sense. PC and Switch/Wii U is definitely the way to go.

Nope!

Bioware should be commended for making a post release effort and generally giving a shit about making their product better. If blame is to be passed around, aim your sights on EA who I guarantee wanted this game out ASAP regardless of the state its in.

“Mass Effect: Andromeda - A little more tolerable!”

I can’t speak for anyone else, but honestly I’d prefer a loading screen over the transition sequences. I’m pretty patient with loading screens. Every time I see those landing or star system-switching animations I just get anxious wondering why I have to watch it every single time.

The update allows you to skip the travel sequences in space. Though those landing and takeoff cutscenes are effectively the loading screens for the zones. Though I wish the ship would not take off when all I want to do is check my damn e-mail. Take off when I go to the galaxy map, not when I board the ship.

Am I alone in thinking Bioware shouldn’t be commended for this? I mean I’m glad they actually recognized the issues with the game and are taking steps to fix them, so credit where credit is due...but this is a night and day difference in quality. These are glaring problems that should’ve been handled with a 3-6…

That’s like saying “Oh, there’s a stalker with his face pressed against your bedroom window with a notebook, noting your every move? Go buy some high quality blackout curtains!”

You must be living in fantasyland or something.

There is actually an ‘easy’ way. The first and most important step is to start dropping the shit these people are creating at their own feet. Accountability in government isn’t and should never become just some buzzy phrase. It is paramount to the proper operation of any government. When people are insulated from the…

It’s one thing to forgive an otherwise compelling narrative experience (which the ME trilogy was, up until the ending) for falling short at the goal line; often, the journey is the point, rather than the destination.

However, with specific regard to the “Refusal” ending, for an author to essentially tell the fans that…

And that’s fine and well. I have not--at any time--advocated for a “Disney” ending to the trilogy; sometimes shit goes sideways, and there’s nothing anyone can do, sidequests and loyalty missions be damned.

What would have been nice, however, was an ending that fit the breadth and depth of what had been asked of the…

No, they’re not. This game is a step backward for the franchise in every aspect, technical and artistic.

I don’t think the hate is unfair. They set up a certain standard of quality, and they failed to achieve it in this game. That applies to the technical aspects such as the animations and character models as well as the artistic aspects such as the writing, plotting and voice acting. In literally all of those ways…

Is there anything about ME:A that isn’t a letdown?

Drew Karpyshyn’s stellar writing on the first Mass Effect was the trilogy’s saving grace. Even after he left, and the writing went downhill, they were still building on the bones he left behind, and that was enough to carry them over the finish line (although not without some major struggles).