i obviously knew coming in this was not going to live up to the original trilogy, which i think softened the blow.
it really is frustrating how the biggest draw of the series (the choices and dialogue) are so unbelievably stripped down. there is one ending, and i feel like doing all the side content didn't actually matter at all, which is wild developmental choice after mass effect 2 and 3.
the main appeal of this entry that keeps it as a positive score to me is that the actual gameplay itself is engaging. firefights are frenetic and mobile, with new abilities and weapons, and the nomad is fun to drive around.
otherwise the game just feels like a stripped down version of the originals. the world-building is still neat, but not as good, the score is cool sometimes, but not as good, and the characters are mostly interesting, but again, not as good.
lastly, hearing about the development of this game explained why there are so many QOL nightmares, but it doesn't make them more bearable. i should not need to endure 7 different loading screens through one side mission, nor should exploring the hub ship involve so much work going up and down floors to talk to people. it leads to the experience feeling sluggish and like a chore at times, and caused me to straight up cut out doing a chunk of side content and engaging in optional conversations, as it was boring to get to those objectives.
this is my first long review in a while, and while i know i harped on this game for the most part, it's still got some merit, especially in the gameplay. and while most things from the original are stripped down, they are still the foundation of what i consider to be one of, if not my favourite video game series ever, meaning that stripped down version is still enjoyable for the most part.
it's just a shame because of what this IP's legacy was.
6/10
it really is frustrating how the biggest draw of the series (the choices and dialogue) are so unbelievably stripped down. there is one ending, and i feel like doing all the side content didn't actually matter at all, which is wild developmental choice after mass effect 2 and 3.
the main appeal of this entry that keeps it as a positive score to me is that the actual gameplay itself is engaging. firefights are frenetic and mobile, with new abilities and weapons, and the nomad is fun to drive around.
otherwise the game just feels like a stripped down version of the originals. the world-building is still neat, but not as good, the score is cool sometimes, but not as good, and the characters are mostly interesting, but again, not as good.
lastly, hearing about the development of this game explained why there are so many QOL nightmares, but it doesn't make them more bearable. i should not need to endure 7 different loading screens through one side mission, nor should exploring the hub ship involve so much work going up and down floors to talk to people. it leads to the experience feeling sluggish and like a chore at times, and caused me to straight up cut out doing a chunk of side content and engaging in optional conversations, as it was boring to get to those objectives.
this is my first long review in a while, and while i know i harped on this game for the most part, it's still got some merit, especially in the gameplay. and while most things from the original are stripped down, they are still the foundation of what i consider to be one of, if not my favourite video game series ever, meaning that stripped down version is still enjoyable for the most part.
it's just a shame because of what this IP's legacy was.
6/10