TalkTyme: We Need a Patch (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

There are some issues with Andromeda but the game hasn’t been officially released yet and there are plans for a day one patch. I’m going to wait for launch before recording videos.

I have the trial, and I jumped in the game. I mentioned on Twitter how the human facial animations are off. You can see, in the video below, that the graphics on them are definitely improved but the animations themselves are not what one would expect from a AAA game. It is a reasonable expectation that the expressions would be improved since they upgraded the game engine or would be at least as good as the previous Mass Effect games, but this feels like a step backwards from Mass Effect 3 to me. If the character is mad, afraid, sad, happy, etc. their facial expression is the same. The look in their eyes is the same.

The game does not have body sliders but their butts… look how nice their butts are. The female character has a much improved body form, in my opinion. As per usual, the older female character (the doctor in the previous series and Cora in this one) has a banging body. I love that, it’s inspirational! Liam, unfortunately, has a changing body form. Some times he is slim, some times he’s thick, some times he looks like he has a gut, then he goes back to looking slim.

Now let’s be clear on one thing: the game has not been released yet. I am playing a trial and others are playing a press copy. They said last month there would be a day one patch. On Twitter, I mentioned how I was concerned about there being a day one patch (and they were still working on it) because it meant the game is currently buggy. So it could be, day one, some of these things will be fixed.

I try to have a realistic and fair view on things. Bioware isn’t the best at facial expressions and animations. They are known for their stories, so I’m not expecting Horizon: Zero Dawn animations. Unfortunately, it is bad for Bioware that Andromeda is coming out so close after Horizon. Streamers can help game companies sell their game and they can also be the kiss of death to a game. In this case, there are streamers still playing Horizon and working Andromeda into their schedule so viewers are seeing both games in the same day. You can imagine what is happening.

Thinking about the goals on my channel, my goal is not to be the first to upload something. My goal is to show a great story, fun gameplay (with commentary) that leaves the viewers with an enjoyable viewing experience. Therefore, I’m going to wait until the patch is out before I upload the game. If the patch fixes or improves these issues, this means a win/win situation for everyone. I’m going to play through the trial, since I paid for it, but I will not use that footage unless something notable happens.

My big question that I hope is answered later on: what makes my character so special on being Pathfinder? I’m placed in the role, over Cora, with no experience because my father passed it to me. It’s clear my character has no idea what she is doing so technically, anyone could do it, right? I hope that answer is revealed later on. It is common for RPGs to have a slow start then ramp up later so again, I’m reserving judgment until I have facts to back it up.

Other than that, I’m enjoying the game and I look forward to exploring and discovering what is in store. I’m not far into the game though but I like the idea of building a new world. I LOVE there is an achievement for not one, not two but THREE romances. I’m going to step outside my boundaries in this game baby!

Oh, that brings up another point. Like I said previously my goal is have a good viewing experiencing. It’s not to have the good ending or the bad ending. For all games, I’m going to play them based on the personality of the character and the ending is what it is. While I respect people who want a specific ending, if only to show it, that type of gameplay doesn’t make me happy.

I want to address one more thing before I end this: there are people with the press release of the game that are saying there are other issues with the game but they cannot talk about it because of the embargo. While that may be true, the patch might fix those issues. Without knowing what the issues are, because of the embargo, I have a “wait and see” approach. I don’t expect any game to be perfect. We’ll see how the game is the 21st!

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