After the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda, fans of the franchise were left disheartened. EA reportedly pressed pause on future Mass Effect plans, including Andromeda post-launch content, leaving fans to wonder if it would ever return. Now, in 2021, a new major Mass Effect game is confirmed to be coming and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is one of the most successful releases of the year. But the most striking turnaround appears to be a newfound appreciation for Mass Effect Andromeda.
While there are various metrics that show a surge of players returning to Mass Effect Andromeda, that doesn't capture the mood surrounding it so much as a recent post on Reddit. An upvoted post on the Mass Effect subreddit has become a collection of fans who have revisited Mass Effect Andromeda and come out of the experience with positive thoughts. The OP of the post captures the idea pretty well, saying, "the more I played I enjoyed and by the end of it I was actually keen on seeing what's next. I think it's a good ME game."
The responses in the Reddit post's comments offer a range of experiences with Mass Effect Andromeda. Some are already huge fans, with one user saying that it was their first and favorite Mass Effect. Other users trend the opposite direction, describing Mass Effect Andromeda as "aggressively average" or the "diet version" of Mass Effect. On the other end of the extreme, there are some who remain unhappy about Mass Effect Andromeda. It's a common theme to compliment the first hours of the game, only to criticize what comes after.
For the most part, however, the responses are positive. Either players are trying Mass Effect Andromeda for the first time and realizing it's better than much of the online sentiment would imply, or players are trying it for a second time and enjoying it more now that it's polished a bit more. A common idea is that it's much easier to enjoy Mass Effect Andromeda without social media being full of negative reactions and exaggerated memes.
By far the most widespread response, and perhaps the biggest compliment Mass Effect Andromeda could receive, is regret that BioWare didn't follow through with releasing DLC. Many of the responses, regardless of whether they enjoyed the game or not, wish BioWare would have finished some of the story threads. The fate of the Quarians and their ark is a particularly painful omission.
Surprisingly, there's little talk about what's coming next for Mass Effect. Amid all of the nostalgia for Mass Effect's original trilogy and a newfound respect for Mass Effect Andromeda, fans apparently aren't ready to get excited for more. Perhaps it's just too far off to begin focusing on yet or perhaps there's lingering worry about the franchise. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see if BioWare shares anything about the next Mass Effect at EA's upcoming EA Play event on July 22.
Mass Effect Andromeda is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
