#but Vetra and Jaal both had such charming romances

[imakemywings]

Oh it’s so hard not to flirt with Vetra

[adozentothedawn]

To be a bit more positive on here before I leave in four days and won't be able to play Andromeda again for three weeks. (Might play Dragon Age though cause my laptop can run that.)

Love Jaal! Best boy in the game. Also together with Vetra and occasionally Drack when he feels like it the only adult. I will never grow tired of him just being agressively adult about things and everyone just being thrown by it. Also the banter between him and the others are alyways great. I still think they did integrate the information exchange between Angara and Initiative well, but the things that are there are great, both in lore and in humour. I also just reached Kadara and his reactions are gold, he's just so annoyed by everything. He's usually so calm about most things but here he's just so grumpy. xD The things he's not calm about are also great! Hoh boy, BioWare actually dealing with the emotional fallout of certain situations? Consider me shocked and pleasantly surprised. Jaal dealing with the exaltation reveal is really well handled. Kudos on that! He is also very relatable just in general and his private moments on the Tempest are very nice.

Peebee! I didn't set out to romance her because I didn't really jive with her design, but I encountered her and immediately went '... Oh fuck, she's cute' and she is. Very cute. She also gave me the best courting gift ever, that VI is basically an upgraded version of my beloved assault turret, I am absolutely seduced. She is a delight to have around and I'm curious to see where her character arc goes.

Vetra! Oh Vetra, beloved of my life, horribly relatable wife, you and your sister will be the end of me. Mom of the group in the best way and I am okay with her taking her time to really get into the romance. I would also be really interested in like a short story with her and Garrus, cause I feel like they would play off of each other in fascinating ways. I think she would really make him uncomfortable with her points but he wouldn't be able to really say why. She is wonderful addition both just on her own and as a counterpoint to Garrus in the original trilogy.

Suvi! To be honest I just had Suvi saved in my brain as 'the human' and later 'the lesbian human' and didn't really expect much out of her, but she was the breaking point for me to get the poly mod. And yes it also is the accent. xD But also just her character, she's funny, she's interesting, she's charming and just a little bit awkward in a confident way. I also think (from what I've seen for now) that her religion deal got handled with a lot more care then Ashley's. I will also say though that I have yet to do my Ashley run (though I intend to) so that is only based of ME1, so take that opinion with a grain of salt. But where Ashley to me came across as 'space Christian cause haha religion in sci-fi am I right?' Suvi got a much more nuanced (though still distinctly monotheistic so you know) take on faith that I find interesting to explore. She also for now seems more interested in god as creator figure rather than a leader figure, which also helps. I am interested to see where they'll take it anyway.

Drack and Kesh! All the others before are people I am romancing on this run, but Drack and Kesh also deserve a spot. The Krogans are not necessarily always badly handled in the trilogy, in fact I like both Wrex and Grunt very much, but they are also very easy to fuck up and just make into the 'haha violence' people and neither Kesh nor Drack are that. Sure Dreck has a bit of that, but it's never the only thing. He also doesn't feel like a character who just enjoys violence just for its own sake. Even when he's out alone when you meet him, he is in the end fighting still for his people and for Kesh. And he also has nuanced opinions and is not an idiot. He thinks it was right for his people to leave but he also agrees with Kesh's decision to stay. And Kesh herself is also a very refreshing representation of a Krogan woman. I like Bekara, but she is a very distinctive form of character and her being the only Krogan woman in the whole trilogy does not help that. Kesh is not that character. She acknowledges the genophage and its effects, but she is very distinctly not here to make babies or dwell on the fact she can't. She's here to handle shit and get some work done to help everyone including her own people. And Drack supports that! Their relationship is very sweet and I really appreciate that it comes from two Krogans especially. Similarly I really like Drack and Vetra's bonding over being/having been a provider for a younger loved one.

Kandros. I just think he's neat. He's such a vibe honestly.

Infinite levels! Hell yeah! My bullshit completionist heart can grind and get literally every ability maxed!

The combat (kinda). See I don't really do the combat like the game wants me to. At this point what I do is collect as many power upgrades as I can, throw out my assault turret, throw out the remnant VI, cast a biotic shield, and then watch everything die. xD I'm having great fun with that honestly. I do wish I was able to equip more abilities though.

[antagonistchan]

i started playing Mass Effect: Andromeda yesterday.

i got a download code for it for christmas like two years ago and just finally redeemed it.

now, for years, i’ve been saying this: “i know that people don’t like Andromeda- it’s very hard to avoid that- but i’ve done my best to avoid looking further into why people don’t like Andromeda because i want to form an opinion for myself. lots of people don’t like Mass Effect 3 either and i fucking adore that game. based on the fact that most people don’t like Andromeda and consider it a total joke but i do see that it has its fans in the Mass Effect tag, i expect that it’s gonna be bad, but i’m gonna like it anyways, though not as much as i like the trilogy.”

and i was absolutely right. so far at least.

it’s definitely not the worst. i mean, unless the question is “the worst Mass Effect game”, in which case, yeah, it is the worst. but that’s not saying much considering the other three are collectively my favorite game of all time.

so, Mass Effect: Andromeda is an extremely flawed game. but it’s not completely worthless like some people say (though i can totally understand why someone would dismiss it as worthless).

it’s pretty ugly (it’s got good lighting, but the animations and textures and human models all look really.... off. and the original version of ME1 was also pretty ugly, but in a charmingly primitive 2007 kinda way; Andromeda’s ugliness lacks that charm, especially since the aforementioned good lighting makes it fail to feel particularly primitive). speaking of the animations, aside from them looking off, a lot of them are extremely stiff and borderline unfinished.

the Angarans as a species are also pretty ugly imo, but 1: that’s extremely subjective, i’ve definitely seen people who are thirsty for Angarans, and 2: that’s also not necessarily a complaint. Angarans just Look Like That. who says these aliens need to conform to our ideals of prettiness. and they’ve got cool stuff going on. Jaal’s neat.

i do like the Remnant. they kinda give off that same precursor vibe as Prothean/Reaper tech without feeling like exactly the same thing again, and it’s pretty interesting that they only disappeared within the last few hundred years rather than 50,000 years ago. and there’s a lot more left of them. they’re somewhat derivative of the Forerunners from Halo, but not too extremely.

now, the aliens i do have an issue with are the Kett. they are so extremely derivative. not only are they derivative of things outside of Mass Effect (i know next to nothing about Warframe and even i can tell that they’re visually a total ripoff of Warframe, and also to an extent Halo), but they’re derivative of things Mass Effect already had, too (gee, an evil race that creates its soldiers by corrupting members of other races? no, that’s not like the Reapers at all).

the game’s writing is mostly fine. nothing’s struck me nearly as hard as anything in the trilogy had this far in (for any of the three games), but the story hasn’t offended me too badly and there’s been stuff i’ve liked. Alec Ryder’s a cool dead mentor character and i did emotionally resonate with him sacrificing himself to save my character’s life, Andromeda manages to bring back a lot of the hard sci-fi elements that ME2 and ME3 both scaled back on from ME1, and i really like the whole disaster scenario that Andromeda inherently presents, and how it makes space feel really big and dangerous in ways the trilogy liked to hint at but never fully explore.

not sure how i feel about the combat yet. largely because of the game’s pacing, and there’s a complaint. the trilogy was pretty good at keeping you on your toes, balancing the combat/exploration gameplay with the downtime gameplay. Andromeda... doesn’t really. it’ll spend way too long on the combat/exploration stuff so i’ll easily start getting bored with it, and then it’ll spend way too long on the downtime stuff so i’ll easily start begging to actually try out the new combat/exploration stuff i’m getting during the downtime, and on top of this, it also means i’m having a really hard time adjusting to the combat. i’m not really having that much fun with the combat yet, but i feel like there’s a very good chance it’s because i just haven’t gotten the hang of it yet (especially coming right off the tail of another playthrough of the original trilogy, a series of games i replay literally every year and have since 2013 so i know them like the back of my hand). the idea of Profiles is interesting, at least.

the Tempest is a cool ship. i had it introduced to me as “a shitty version of the Normandy” and that’s not really fair. yeah, the Normandy’s cooler, but the Tempest is cool too. honestly, i found myself comparing it more to the Normandy SR-1 than the SR-2. It has a much more similar vibe (i mean, hell, you don’t need to go through any loading screens to see the entire ship, and it’s not all centralized around a single elevator). the windows are really really silly from an in-universe perspective but i can forgive that, especially since it’s finally fulfilling the promise that i mistakenly thought some vague blurry ME1 art made years ago- a central ops chamber with a full window view of the top part of the ship. and it’s pretty. Ryder’s bedroom is a lot nicer than Shepard’s, it’s a bedroom that’s much more my speed. i also think it’s funny that they had to rename the Tempest gun so the names didn’t conflict.

and then there’s the characters, and.... i mostly like them.

i’m a little mixed on Cora. she seems a little passive-aggressive. Drack is just store brand Wrex, but that’s not really a bad thing. i mean, could you live up to Urdnot Wrex? no, you couldn’t. so Drack doesn’t offend me, i like him. Tann absolutely sucks but he’s clearly supposed to suck.

but then you’ve got the characters who are on two opposite ends of the spectrum of likability: Vetra and Peebee.

holy shit Peebee sucks and i don’t want anything to do with her. she was one of those things i wasn’t able to avoid hearing about and yeah she sucks just as much as everyone said she does.

Vetra, meanwhile? i adore Vetra so much. i love her. the moment i met her, i just HAD to look her up on the wiki to see if i could romance her, and i was so elated when i saw she was an available bi romance.

and for that matter, i was soon pretty happy to discover the game’s selection of romances: three exclusively straight romances (Cora, Liam, Avela), two exclusively gay romances (Gil and Suvi), and five bi romances (Jaal, Vetra, the witch, Keri, and someone i haven’t met yet named Reyes). that’s a pretty solid mix! especially when the two straight romances are two humans and an Angaran, the two gay romances are both human, and the bi romances are two Asari, a female Turian, a human, and another Angaran. i think i’d adjust it slightly by making one of the straight romances bi, but aside from that, that’s... kinda perfect! this feels really well thought-out, like they tried to make the mix perfect (hell, making one of the Angarans exclusively straight but another one bi feels like they were trying to provide a serious cultural clue for them- namely, that sexual identity is a concept they have)! it’d also be perfect if everyone was bi, but perfect in a different way (pro: you don’t have to worry about sexuality at all, con: it’s kinda boring).

anyways, back to Vetra. it’s a little early to say, since i’ve barely even explored her romance, but........ while probably not my favorite romance (it’d take a lot to dethrone that current champion, Traynor, let alone the other high scorers Garrus and Tali), she’s probably pretty high up there. sassy Turian lady who plays dirty to get things done? hell, i love the Garrus romance so much despite being a lesbian, so i’m absolutely all for my character romancing a Turian with a dark side, and now we get someone other than Garrus to fill that role, and a lady at that! ME1 and ME2 didn’t have any female Turians and ME3 didn’t have nearly enough, and then ME:A just has so many. the same goes for female Salarians, too, actually, but it’s more understandable in-universe for Salarians considering how Salarian gender works. anyways, there’s more that i love about Vetra besides “she’s Garrus 2 but a girl now”, a lot more actually, but that core idea is really enough to get you on board with her, really.

(speaking of Garrus though, he was also the focal point of one of the game’s stupidest moments: at some point Ryder says “An impatient rookie, frustrated with procedure? That's overdone.” which like..... that’s clearly supposed to be making fun of Garrus?? who’s like, the literal most popular character in the franchise???? i’m sorry??? what??? it’s like they’re trying to piss the fandom off intentionally, and “creators intentionally trying to piss their fandom off” generally don’t earn much respect from me unless they’re indie, and even then it’s a tough sell)

but that Garrus thing is cancelled out by another cool thing: the Nexus. the core idea of the Nexus seems to be “the Andromeda Initiative decided to build their own Citadel”, and that’s really fucking cool. it’s interesting to see the challenges of getting something like the Citadel actually up and running, and the Nexus itself is pretty interesting, especially in comparing and contrasting between it and the Citadel. also it has a room dedicated to teaching any local species about the various Milky Way races, and it’s all technically accurate but also a little overly generous in how positive some things are (“Turian culture is proof that peace will always win out!” “Humans may be diverse, but we choose to celebrate that diversity rather than let it divide us!”). and also i love that they actually let you listen to the info about humans as if you weren’t a human yourself because one of my favorite things about ME worldbuilding is how much it feels like humanity is just another one of the races that exists in this world, and humanity are really only the “protagonists” of the story because Shepard/Ryder is human.

[acequeenking]

Thoughts on the Andromeda Crew

I've done two more missions in ME:A, one on Voeld and one on Havarl. Thoughts on the crew thus far below the cut:

CREW

At this point in the game, it's become clear that your crew (and the Andromeda initiative as a whole) might have had good reasons to flee the Milky Way galaxy. Besides the incoming, machine-orchestrated apocalypse, I mean. None of these guys quite “belong” in their home cultures, and all of them are misfits to some degree or another.I like that, and how, in many ways, these aren't carbon copies of Tali/Garrus/etc. It's a risk, but I think it pays off. Mostly. Liam is super-emotional, and at times this can make him unprofessional. He loves a lot, definitively an extrovert. Liam is basically the “Deanna Troi”, less in terms of psychological well-being, but more in terms of being the peacemaker of the Andromeda crew. Liam is consistently the one who who worries about making sure everyone gets along, who wants to bond not only with the milky way crew but goes out of his way to bring in Jaal as well. Not only does Liam reject our ideal of toxic masculinity, but he actually takes on a very traditionally feminine role in the group. No wonder he didn't exactly fit in in a police force made up of men like Harkin. Disaster response is closer to what his calling is, but I still think it’s wrong. Honestly, I think Liam would make a great teacher or social services provider; he cares, sometimes too much, but he cares. I also like how the game does point out this is both a positive trait and a negative one; his over-kill on the kett at Habitat 7, his arguments with Cora. It adds balance to his character. My one question: Liam, what is up with those media recommendations on your emails? It must take you a while to set those up and with everything going wrong you'd honestly think he'd focus on something greater than titles of books relating to community.

Cora, like Liam, is a rejection of traditional gender roles. She's clinical, precise, but also pig-headed. She has an almost masculine amount of confidence; she calls it how she sees it, and that's...it. Yet at the same time she has a lot of reverence for the female-coded people in her life; the girl who isn’t like the other girl, she isn’t. 

This leads to a lot of conflict with...just about everyone, actually. She's savage to Peebee for not caring about what she cares about; she doesn't get Drack, and mistrusts him even when he's pretty harmless. She doesn't get Liam, she doesn't get Jaal, and she doesn't get Vetra. Cora butts heads with literally just about everyone who doesn't believe what she does. This makes her character difficult to like, for me, personally. She's very focused on the asari, to the point of almost being an asari otaku (tm @buhnebeest). It's an ironic twist, a human who you would think, from the name, would be all “human rights forever!!!” to be pretty much in love with the asari. It's clear she believes in asari culture in asari religion, in asari strategies. She doesn't belong with humanity anymore; one gets the sense she would have rather been on the asari arc. 

Peebee is an asari with commitment issues a mile long. She's very much the anti-Liara; whereas Liara constantly wanted to get closer to Shepard, Peebee is constantly pushing Ryder away. She doesn't want to commit, tells you up front she's only here to get what she wants and then she's leaving, free-bird style. Peebee would never be so devoted to a friend/lover that she'd go on a one-woman mission to rescue their corpse, I'm saying. Despite that, Peebee is a charming girl; she's clever, smart as a whip, and you can tell she really is passionate about the remnant tech she studies. For Peebee life is all about the new and the now, and you get the feeling that there's no place she'd rather be than the frontier. Of all the people on your team, Peebs best encapsulates the “trail blazer” persona. 

Vetra is, like Peebee, very much the Anti-Garrus. Garrus was a Palaven homeboy, from the capital no less. He came from a position of turian privilege, and it's very evident, particularly in Mass Effect, that he doesn't know how to relate to the others. He started off wary of humans, absolutely cruel to Tali. (Thankfully, he got better.) Vetra is also from Palaven, but has pretty much the opposite sort of backstory: her family life was chaotic, her parents basically unsupportive. She was forced to scrap and save for her sister from a young age. Garrus ran from his family, Vetra is absolutely attached to her sister at the hip. Vetra's my favorite cast member, and while I feel like I'm becoming somewhat of a stereotype by tending to focus on turians (TURIANS!), I think she'd be my favorite even if she wasn't a spiky bird. She's kind, adaptable; I adore the way she makes decisions focused on giving people what they want. She's also intense as fuck, which is something I'm generally into in characters (if you uh, haven't noticed, which...you almost certainly have). Also her addition to dextro cereal is absolutely endearing. Vetra is almost certainly the one I'll romance my first go; I've been flirting with everyone, but I like her best, and some of her dialogue in her romance is so good. “I've got a good feeling about you, Ryder,” said in a soft, but affectionate tone; “It's nice to be appreciated”. Oh Vetra. 10/10 will fanfic forever. I can't wait until Scott wakes up and sees his two new, slightly raptor-like sisters. (I honestly couldn't think of a better way for him to wake up than having Sid squealing about him and how she's heard so much about him from Sara, and did he really break his arm climbing a tree and did it grow back or is it a robot arm???)

Jaal, like Liam, and Drack, rejects the idea of toxic masculinity; so much of Jaal's story is about his emotions, how he must express what he feels. Jaal is a soldier, but he is unquestionably a lover of a great many things: not just people, but places. Jaal I think honestly does love Andromeda; he takes great pride in talking to people everywhere and really reminds me of no one quite so much as Piper from Fallout 4 in terms of connection to the game world. Jaal was the biggest turn around in expectations for me. I don't think his look is particularly attractive and nothing about the pre-release info about him excited me.  I love him and I will definitively romance him second go. He's so emotionally powerful but also kind-hearted; he is absolutely dedicated to his people and turning things around for them. Also, his voice sounds like Javik's which is A+ for me. I will write several fics where he has eight millionty babies he adopts with Ryder. I want to write a bunch of cross-cultural fic, as the angara are interesting; a culture-heavy race long focused to be at war. Plus the reincarnation thing is just...oomph. Def. Space husband.

Drack is a rebel. He's definitively not your standard Krogan; he likes war, sure, but he's far more into family. No one in the party is as much a care-taker as Drack, expect perhaps Vetra. (Whose relationship, as an aside, I find fascinating because it's not how a turian and krogan relationship should go according to the milky way rules; Drack and Vetra not only get along like a house on fire, but Drack is presented as the expert and Vetra as the lesser-experienced.) Drack is very emotional, and it's obvious he loves his granddaughter Kesh and also that he cares about you. I was shocked – in a good way – when he sent Sara an email commiserating with her about her dad and trying to cheer her up with pictures of guns. He's astonishingly emotional, paternal even. I wish you could romance Drack because I would ride that old man's quad. He's gruff and grumpy but also incredibly caring and like Liam, someone focused on unity. He's lived a lot and seen a lot and he's old and jaded but somehow still hopeful and secretly soft as hell and I love him.  It's obvious why Gil didn't really fit in in the milky way; he admits cheerfully that he “lacks purpose” and just kind of drifted from one place to the next. He wants to find this purpose in Andromeda. I have to admit I really do not like Gil at all; I think he's a bit of an asshole. I hate his interactions with Kallo, because Gil just comes off as a jerk who thinks he knows better than the ship's builders. His modifications don't tend to be better than what we already have and as Kallo points out, often cause problems. Worse, he doesn't tell the crew he's going to be doing them, then is offended when they don't work or set off alarms that inconvenience others.

I met him for Poker on the nexus and he seemed more charming from that, as is his poker table book (although it made me wonder why Ryder doesn't get invited to the poker games when Jaal does, and he's only been on the ship for six seconds).  His friend Jill sounds hideous and gross and I absolutely hate how any attempt to tell him that her “U GOTTA MAKE A BABY BRO” speech is inappropriate is met with you don't know her, it's how we do. Yeah making someone feel bad for a sexual orientation they can't help is abuse, not friendship.

Suvi. Suvi I love, on a brighter spot; definitively space wife material, and again, a character I will run through to romance at some point. She's so bright and smart, and while I feel like a lot of people won't like her religious viewpoints, I really do. Religious characters are rare, and I glom onto them like hydrogen to oxygen, baby. I think the dichotomy she feels between being forced to choose to marvel at nature or be forced to explain it is interesting; it gives her depth. I wish Ryder had more ways to talk to her other than “I agree” or “You're shit also your religion is shit” but I do enjoy that Suvi is not an atheist. She's a profound believer in something bigger. 

I think this is what enables her to go to Andromeda, because that's not welcome in an area so soon after first contact, when so many religions on earth must have been shaken by the knowledge that we weren't alone, that there were more belief structures in the universe than we'd accounted for.  She is very much a rejection of the absoluteness of science; interestingly, she somewhat echoes Mordin, who also held some religious viewpoints and took comfort in them in regards to his work on the genophage. Also, she licks rocks, and there's nothing cuter than a girl that licks rocks. Her voice is nice as well, though I'm not sure where the accent is supposed to put her (Irish? Scottish?).

Kallo is probably the closest to fitting in with his species' general stereotype. He's another bright spot for me; Salarians really are bringing it in this game. I like him a lot. He's bright and brave but also a bit of a stick in the mud. It's clear that he expects things to run to spec, and doesn't have a lot of patience for people meddling with his stuff. (I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt in the conversation however, mainly because he isn't furthering the conflict 99% of the time with Gil, and his reasons for...wanting to know what's happening on his ship…are reasonable). Like Joker, he loves the Tempest, but he loves it in a less romantic way. He has more pride in it than emotional love. 

Lexi is...there. And I can’t honestly say much more about her? She doesn’t seem to have half the personality that Chakwas did, but hopefully she’ll get a scene to shine soon. Right now she seems like a waste of a rather famous VA.

[jessadilla]

hi!! 8, 17 and 25 from that ryder ask?

Hello! 

8 Just got answered, so onto 17!

17. Did Ryder fall in love? If so, with whom? What drew them to that person? Would their sibling approve?

I’m still figuring this one out.

I had intended to go with either Vetra or Jaal for her, but Vetra is too mature, and although Nova has no problem with her having her shady connections and underworld kind of knowledge, as a romantic partner, it would definitely cause a rift with them. She basically needs goodies like herself. The most compatible romances for her are probably Liam or Jaal. I would say Peebee is also super compatible, but honestly, Peebee is like another version of herself, except more free to do as she pleases, and it bothers Nova because as Pathfinder she has less freedom, so she likes Peebee but there’s also a slight resentment underlying her relationship with her.

Liam is youthful, tries to stay optimistic, even when he falters sometimes, can laugh at bad situations when it’s not too dire, and makes mistakes as he tries to figure things out. This is all very attractive to Nova because his friendly nature and openness is much needed. Plus if she needs someone to party with her, he’d be great for that too.

Nova thinks Jaal is adorable. She is completely on board with the emotional openness and his battle savvy. They both like to take things apart and put them together to figure out how they work, and Nova likes the fact that Jaal also still seems to be trying to figure out his place, because she is definitely on that same boat. They’re both emotional people and she kind of finds his entire life and situation romantic (in the idealized sense) which kind of adds to his charm. He’s quirky and she finds his confusion cute sometimes, but also is taken aback that he can actually be smooth as hell when he wants?

He’s a bit(??? 27 Angara years..w/e the fuck that means) older than her though, and has been in the Resistance for ages, and she has no idea what that can be like, but it has definitely aged him in some ways, possibly too much? But his huge family is another draw for Nova because it is something she has always wanted. (Although this also presents the problem of a future for them because she definitely wants kids someday, and I’d assume Jaal would too because the Angara care so much for family? So that might...end a relationship before it even starts amirite?)

But, also, Nova gets crushes all the time on everyone. She got one on Avela on Aya because of her enthusiasm for her work and all around cuteness. She got a crush on Pathfinder Raeka for being a total badass and also just very brave and noble. She got a crush on Reyes Vidal because he was just a smooth, handsome baby with a hidden soft side. She even crushed on Kandros a bit, just cuz.

She’s just a huge romantic and wears her heart on her fuckin wrist at this point and is ready to give it away at the drop of the hat. She’s currently romancing Jaal because of his romantic nature, but I’m not sure if he’s the right fit for her. She might not stick with him in another playthrough! We’ll see!

Oh, and Callisto (bro) might feel a little weird if he found out about Jaal, or basically Nova being with any alien since she’s only dated humans, but she has gotten crushes on characters in games with aliens and also on the turian who played the lead in Fleet and Flotilla so he’s not exactly shocked. He’d approve of anyone who was treating his sister like a queen.

25. How do they feel about what they’ve accomplished in Heleus? Are they proud? Worried? Do they feel positive about the chances for a cluster-wide unity? If they could change anything that had happened since everyone arrived in the cluster, what would it be and why?

I kind of answered some of this for 4, but it’s a mixed bag. Some of her decisions haunt her really bad. To the point of giving her nightmares and anxiety attacks. But for other things, like settling on Eos, she was super proud. She is very fond of Prodromos despite it being on a planet she would rarely want to visit. But it’s just like her baby, essentially, and she will do whatever she can to see it thrive. Collecting evidence of the settlers that were on the 2 failed sites really hit her hard and she’s definitely feeling like she owes the Initiative civilians a ton for all the leg work and general hard work they did, to the point of giving up their lives for the initiative.

She tries to be positive about a cluster-wide unity. She is at least hopeful with the Angara. She loves the Angara and wants to do right by them (sometimes even to the detriment of the initiative it feels like). Essentially she’s one of those idealists who is hopeful for world peace and yadda yadda. She doesn’t know if it’s possible to achieve it with the whole situation of Kadara and how quickly so many turned to low morals and depravity (I mean CANNIBALS..COME ON! that made her sick!) but she will continue to strive to achieve unity throughout the galaxy.

I haven’t finished the game yet so I honestly can’t say how any of her decisions may have slightly affected endgame. But she does regret her decision on the Kett Flagship bc it doesn’t seem like Drack will ever fully forgive her for it. She might not go back and change her decision, but she wishes it wasn’t one she had to make in the first place.

She’s also worried about letting New Tuchanka keep that remnant core because….Morda doesn’t seem like a liar, but she also refers to herself as OVERLORD, which is never good. She hopes that there won’t be a point where Morda will choose to betray the Nexus and prioritize a bomb over the welfare of her colony. But like I said, ANXIETY.

[bidickgrayson]

some initial mea thoughts after playing it for like, over twelve hours and feeling like i’ve barely begun:

I LOVE VETRA! I LOVE VETRA! i feel like the greatest thing bioware ever did was to let me romance vetra as female ryder. i’ve only flirted with her like three times, but i’m already super in love with her

that’s all, end of post. vetra’s the best and that’s all that matters

jk, this is me we’re talking about, i’ve never done a short post in my life

i like everyone a lot so far. everyone’s so likable and interesting to me, and there’s been some great moments for everyone, i actively look forward to getting to know them better. and they have great interactions with each other!! i love my squad talking to each other on the tempest and in the field

i like peebee a lot more than i thought i would. i feel like so far, she’s been a good mix of the kind of...quirky distant loner with someone i actually do want to know. i thought i might mostly find her annoying or childish or one dimensional, but i’m already looking forward to eventually romancing her, even though i’ve only had her on the squad for a short time

i really like drack. i love that he’s a grandfather to another super awesome krogan. speaking of which, KESH IS AMAZING i wanna be friends with her, i love love love female krogan (meaning two only two we’ve ever met lol)

gil’s amazing. i love gil so much, i’m really looking forward to eventually romancing him with male ryder. i wish he was a full squad mate! he’s so much fun so far

i love suvi too! if vetra didn’t exist, i would probably be romancing suvi first time around. idk, i just find her very charming? she’s cute, i’m excited to romance her.

i like the way the tempest crew all talk to each other/chime in for different planet scans/missions. it makes gil/suvi feel more consistently a part of the crew, more than sam/steve imo? i still feel like they’re inevitably going to get less than the squad romances haha thanks bioware!!!!!!!!!!

i’m at least glad that it’ll be easier for me to romance those two, unlike sam/steve who only came in the third game and had to compete with characters that shepard had know and grown to love for two games. 

i like cora more than i expected. i haven’t decided if i care enough to actually make a male ryder to romance her though.

liam’s interesting. he’s a lot more complicated than i thought he’d be, and idk if i get him? there was a quick side quest thingy with him and jaal taking their shirts off, and i honestly have no idea what happened or why it did (something about getting to know the angara i guess??), and it felt like ryder understood something i didn’t, and i was just sitting there like “.....huh??” he’s fun though. i’ve loved him from the moment ryder and him were separated from everyone else on habitat 7 and had great banter with each other throughout that mission. i’ll probably romance him eventually, but right now he’s below vetra/suvi/peebee for my future female ryder romances. still mad he’s straight lol

only just met jaal, and i like him/am intrigued by him so far. it’s really unfair to jaal the character, but i kind of have some resentment directed at him because bioware made him straight. IT’S NOT HIS FAULT that bioware made such a terrible decision, but i’m so bitter and mad. jaal deserves better than to be straight bioware! (more realistically, HOLY SHIT MLM DESERVE BETTER good lord! fuck you honestly bioware). i was really looking forward to romancing jaal with a male ryder, so idk when i’m actually going to romance him. i want to, but i’m so reluctant to do straight romances

speaking of angara/bioware anger, holy shit the female angara look bad. HOLY SHIT they look so bad. it’s not quite as bad as the tali photoshop picture thingy (because basically nothing could reach that level (plsdon’tproovemewrongbioware)), but i keep thinking about it in relation to the female angara design. the male angara look GOOD and fully developed, and the female angara are just so distractingly poorly designed?? like their lips and their noses (the noses are so different on male and female and it’s like HMMMM i fucking wonder why), and their cheeks/jawline texture and their tentacle thingies.....geez it’s bad. it’s so distracting to me when i talk to female angara :(

i like kallo. don’t have too many more thoughts on him than that. curious how his conflict with gil will resolve. i like him and suvi being bridge buddies

oh and lexi! i had literally zero expectations for her coming in, but she’s cute and i like her and i’m glad she’s on the tempest

back to my fave, vetra, i love how well connected she is?? she’s friends with so many people, it’s great, and i love how everyone seems to love/respect her. and she had such a great intro to her character. AND SHE’S PROTECTIVE OF HER SISTER!! so far she hasn’t left my party, and honestly, that’s not going to change for the rest of the game. it’s gonna be me and vetra and whoever else wants to come along. and speaking of, i love that the squadmates talk so much more than in previous mass effect games. yes to themselves, but also just commenting on the world and what ryder does

i saw something before the game came out that was like, this game seems like it’s going to be the citadel dlc: the game, and so far that’s pretty accurate honestly? it’s not the same, because there isn’t the same emotional investment/payoff, but i like the tone so far, i love the banter, i love ryder’s interactions with the crew...and i like that the crew reacts to each other. in both me1 and me2, crew interactions were minimal, and it was kind of like everyone was in their own world. i loved me2, but it was all so individualized into the loyalty missions that the crew didn’t really feel like a crew, like they barely knew there were other crew members on the team (unless they hated each other lol). i’m glad to get a chance to know a lot of what everyone on the tempest thinks about/how they interact with the others

i like ryder so far, and i’m glad they’ve gotten rid of the paragon/renegade system. i can actually imagine playing this game differently in my future playthroughs! don’t have to choose to be a raging asshole to get some different dialogue choices. and ryder’s much more interesting/engaging to me than the inquisitor ever was

[mageliberation]

29 Days: What is your Ryder’s name? Why did you pick this name - is there a meaning or origin story behind it? Do they go by any nicknames? What would you name their sibling, father and mother if you were able to choose?  

I’ve decided to go with Imani for my default Ryder. Imani is Swahili for Faith/Trust/Confidence. I chose this because I thought it was appropriate for someone who’s had the kind of life Pop!Ryder has had, along with what we know of the kind of future the Twin!Ryders will be pursuing, to have it be something that relayed a faith in humanity and the good we can achieve/strive for. Her middle name is Brei and her family [and exes], call her Brei or Brei Brei. I like the idea of Mama!Ryder being just as tough but way more playful than Pop!Ryder so I’d name Bro!Ryder Amani and her Khadija probably.

28 Days: Are you going to use the default appearance or create a custom Ryder? If custom, describe your Ryder’s physical appearance (hair color, eye color, skin color, height, weight, facial features, any scars or tattoos, racial origin, etc). If you have art and/or a face-claim, feel free to add them here.

If I have a choice I never play as a White person so I’ll def be changing the appearance of literally all of my Ryders. Imani is 6′2, has very dark Black skin, Brown Eyes, a runner's kind of lean muscle build, prominent cheekbones, deep dimples, stretch marks around her major joints from being an underweight child who grew into a hardy youth, straight white teeth, and keeps her hair in short finger coils with buzzed sides. She has some geometric blackwork tattoos reminiscent of Kente Cloth to harken back to her roots [African-American/Black]. Basically she looks like a darker version of Teyonah Parris, with Angela Bassett’s cheekbones, and dimples.

27 Days: Are you going to use the default appearance for Ryder’s sibling or customize them? Describe your ideas for their sibling’s and father’s physical appearance.

Um, no. Lmao, I would never. The Bro!Ryder for my default Ryder, I’d call him Amani] looks like a mix of Broderick Hunter and Adonis Bosso in my head. Dad!Ryder looks like a less fine Tyson Beckford. Mom Ryder prolly looks like a mix or Naomi Campbell and Tika Sumpter.

26 Days: Do you have a specific class profile or mix of class profiles in mind for Ryder?

I like playing as a Sniper Soldier. Idk how that’s fit with the new system but yeah that’s what I’m going with.

25 Days: Describe Ryder’s favorite combat style. Bioware call Peebee a “gunslinger” and describe Liam as a “close-range fighter” - how would you describe Ryder’s combat role/strengths? What are some of their favorite biotic/tech/other abilities?

I’d say Imani is a Long-Range specialist with Brawler capabilities. I’d say she likes the “One Man, One Bullet” Rule or if that’s not enough/effective she shoots from a distance to weaken shields enough to get in close for a melee finisher. The Omniblade, whether in melee or as a projectile is her favorite ability.  

24 Days: Which squadmates do you think will best compliment Ryder’s combat style? Alternatively, who do you plan to take out most in the field?

I’ll probably take Liam out the most since I want to romance him but really I won’t know until I play since I like to have a relatively balanced party. Maybe Jaal if he/they have biotics? Or Vetra and Cora since I love the idea of an all female squad and I kind of want to romance Cora w/ a Sis!Ryder even though I hate her haircut/color combo. I like muscular girls.

23 Days: Which weapons or category of weapons will Ryder prefer? Describe their favorite loadout.

Snipers and Assault rifles for sure are her preferred weapons of choice. Black Widow, Modded Assault Rifle, doesn’t matter for other two since she rarley ever uses them.

22 Days: Will Ryder craft? What are you most excited about crafting? Do you have any names in mind already for weapons?

She’ll def be crafting. I’m a little bit of an achievement hunter after I’ve beaten a game once. I’ll prob be focusing on ship and weapons upgrades my first go round since those are the ones I like the most.

21 Days: What are Ryder’s personality traits? Describe 5 strengths and 5 flaws.

Strength

1) Passionate - Imani feels deeply and expresses just as strongly.

2) Determined - She’s slow to get started but once decided it is very hard to sway her from whatever goal she’s set or decision she’s made.

3) Charming - She likes schmoozing and making people feel good about themselves and convincing others to see things her way.

4) Intelligent - Sharp all around she loves learning new things and listening to people talk about things they are knowledgeable about.

5) Compassionate - As a deeply empathetic person she feels deeply for others and will sacrifice for those around her.

Flaws

1) Divisive - Imani has strong opinions on a lot of things and can be dismissive of opinions she finds to be uninformed or positions she finds reprehensible, along with the people holding them.

2) Neurotic - She procrastinates until she doesn’t, and then she obsesses and goes through mood shifts based on her perception of her choices and their results.  

3) Obnoxious - Some find her to be “too much” or “too big” of a personality and if they do she’s quick to let them know exactly which part of her they can kiss.

4) Self-Righteous - Imani can admit that she’s wrong, on the rare occasion that she is, anyway.

5) Needy - She has always sought out the approval of those she cares about and who she admires, many times to the extent that it was a detriment ot her own well being.

20 Days: What first impressions does Ryder tend to give people? Do they have any ‘odd’ or specific mannerisms, habits or other quirks? How do they present and carry themselves?

Imani’s the kind of person that has such a big personality, in her speaking cadence, tonation, and content of what she’s saying, that people end up liking her partially because they actively want to. Reciprocal liking has been a major player in all of her relationships outside her family.

19 Days: Where would Ryder fall in the classic Paragon/Renegade morality system? What would their D&D alignment be? If you know their personality type in any personality typing systems (such as MBTI and Enneagram - you can find various type descriptions and tests using Google), feel free to add and discuss them here.

In the classic system I’d say she’d be a Paragon. In D&D she’d be Chaotic Good for sure. Malcolm X is one of her history heros. She believes in doing whatever is necessary and is a staunch opponent of the idea that violence against one’s oppressor is “just as bad” or “stooping to their level”. Seriously, you might have to catch her on the corner if you said that shit in her presence, or at the very least expect a verbal drop kick. Space Socialist, tbh.

18 Days: What qualities does Ryder like and dislike in other people? Are there any things they particularly appreciate or can’t stand?

Imani likes people who are giving and humble. She especially appreciates people who complement her ostentatiousness with quiet contemplation or careful word choosing. Both of her exes were the the somewhat stoic at first meeting but gold hearted and secretly funny once they warmed to you type. She doesn’t like people who are mean for fun or who are judgmental about material things. She can’t stand people chewing with their mouth open or who leave their hair all over the place in the bathroom [her ex-girlfriend]. She loves people who don’t mind doing dishes and who have tongue rings [both her ex-bf and gf for the last bit].

17 Days: List some of Ryder’s favorite things - colors, food, music, etc. Is there anything of this nature that they hate? Do they have any hobbies or skills outside of combat?

She hates tomatoes on burgers or in an unaltered state. She loves ceviche, salsa, and onions in general. Her favorite music is “Classical” [90s Earth American R&B] and she loves eating and cooking food as a hobby. Her main hobby is future Dungeons & Dragons. Her favorite colors are Black, Navy Blue, Pastel Yellow, Pastel Blue, Pastel Purple, Mint and White. She likes solid gold statement jewelry despite not wearing it much.

16 Days: How would Ryder define their sexuality?

She’s Bisexual.

15 Days: Delve into the Ryder family background - how is/was their relationship with their father, sibling and mother? Do they get along, hero worship, close twin connection, sibling rivalry, was it strained, was it distant, etc.

Imani’s relationship with her father has always been strained, honestly. He’s never given her praise without using the next breath to cut her down. His expectations have always been just high enough that they are nearly out of her reach until she gets close and he moves the goalpost. She and her brother have always been best friends and he often complained that she was bossy as a child despite doing as she asked anyways, mostly to tease her. Their mother was definitely the preferred parent for both twins. She was often stern but warm and encouraging at the same time. Even if she had similar expectations she never made the twins feel like she didn’t believe they couldn’t achieve them or that even if they didn’t she’d think any less of them.    

14 Days: Describe some important or formative events in Ryder’s history. How did these impact and shape them?

The visit to their mother’s home on Earth was a formative experience for both twins but especially for Imani. The idea that her mother could come from such a harsh reality and still end up being such a giving and compassionate person amazed her in her youth and made her want to do her best to grow into the kind of person her mother would respect even if they weren’t related. The second big formative event in her life was the loss of her ex-boyfriend, med student and first love, who was killed while doing medical volunteer work on a backwater frontier planet by Batarian slavers. They’d been together through university and had talked of marriage and a future together and the sudden loss has left her with lingering issues with abandonment and co-dependency. Which made her most recent formative experience of her latest long term romance with her girlfriend, a linguistic conservationist, who refused her ticket into the Andromeda Initiative especially devastating for her.      

13 Days: Why did Ryder join the Alliance military? Later on, what were Ryder’s reasons for signing up to the Andromeda Initiative? Were they seeking adventure (or glory, or a challenge), wanting a new start, running from something, following their family, trying to secure a future for humanity, did they simply feel railroaded into it, etc.

Imani joined the Alliance first and foremost because they would pay for her education. The Andromeda Initiative seemed to her like the opportunity to become the kind of space fairing coalition of races she’d glimpsed in her adolescent marathoning of the Old Earth vids “Star Trek”. The idea of being parted from her brother for the rest of her life being a loss she couldn’t accept only added to her determination to join up.

12 Days: How will Ryder feel upon waking up from cryo? Relieved, excited, scared, impatient to get going, lost, etc.

I think Imani will be both relieved and terrified. She realizes what a big undertaking trying to start fresh is and how many peoples hopes, wishes, futures, and dreams are firmly settled on her shoulders to actuate.

11 Days: Once in Andromeda, what are Ryder’s goals? What drives them?

Ryder wants to do exactly as the Andromeda Initiative has stated, in that she wants to find a new home for humanity and the other citadel races. Not only that but she wants this new home to be that aspirational City on A Hill. A true beacon of civilization in its equity, fairness, and compassion for all it’s citizens. Her goals are to do whatever is necessary to make that real.

10 Days: Will Ryder ever miss the Milky Way? What things and places will they miss most?

Ryder may have grew up on ships and space station but she’s an Earther at heart. She will always miss her home planet, that little ancestral home that her mother’s mother worked herself to the bone for, in that place that their ancestors were brought to, and the sound of the wind in the trees surrounding it at night. The burial ground of what she’d thought would one day be her future. The soft yellow of the sheets of the one who made her believe she could have one again. Also, craving for genuine Belizean food at that place near 38th street will probably plague her for the rest of her days.  

9 Days: Did Ryder have any notable friends or connections in the Milky Way? How about past relationships? Which friendship or relationship was the most significant to them?

She had many friends whom her heart will always ache for the want of their presence but none she could've said no to her posting for. Her ex-girlfriend, Mya, was alive and well when she left her, if heartbroken and handling it better than Imani. Their relationship had not been new but had not been as old as the one before it. Still they’d talked of a future together, or marriage, or a life shared.

8 Days: How does Ryder feel about aliens? Are they uncomfortable, wary, intrigued, curious, intimidated, not bothered, etc? In the Milky Way, where did they stand on humanity’s place in galactic society - Earth first, Terra Firma, human superiority, peaceful cooperation, pro-galactic integration & unity, etc? How will they feel upon discovering that there are sentient alien races in Andromeda?

Ryder generally feels that aliens are “people” in that their varied cultures and customs cannot be generalized as all good or all bad just as she would hope they would feel about humanity. Batarians in general are a sore spot for her though as most of their cultures venerate practices that her own ancestors fought to be free from and are still to this day dealing with the repercussions of. Which doesn’t even touch on the whole “Batarians killed one of the loves of my life” bit. Imani is a Unitarian and believed, similar to the Asari, that co-operation and unification of space fairing races was the best solution for extended peace and prosperity for all parties. Of course she is also still a socialist and didn’t think that the continuation of Capitalism as a Socio-Economic system in the continually advancing and already hyper advanced society they lived in was wise or sustainable for said goals of extended peace or prosperity.  

7 Days: Ryder’s father gave the twins informal N7 training in the past. How did Ryder feel about this (pressured, resentful, grateful, motivated, overworked, excited, etc)? What are their feelings on “N7” as a symbol? How do they relate to it, if at all?

Imani felt pressured into the training and was thus resentful of it despite feeling at the end of it that she was better prepared for what may come in the future of her career/life in general. Shepard was a mixed bag of inspiration for Imani growing up as she has always had a mixed set emotions about herself and those who serve in military arms of governments whatever their species. She could do without the propaganda of The Alliance and it’s Elite N7 program even though she can appreciate the good the Alliance has done/is doing. She refuses to allow Nationalism/Specieism/etc to cloud her vision from the realities of the atrocities that said arms have also taken part in/co-signed or in her own place as a potential participant.  

[canttalktumbling]

New Post has been published on Can't Talk

New Post has been published on http://www.cant-talk.com/2017/06/10-second-reviews-vetra-nyx-edition/

10 Second Reviews: The Vetra Nyx Edition

It’s only been a few months since “Mass Effect: Andromeda” dropped, and my heart now belongs to a certain turian smuggler with a heart of gold. (No, you’ve romanced her in three out of four playthroughs. That certainly doesn’t sound like something I would do. Nope.) I mean, just look at her. Such a BAMF. Such great style. Such great voice.

Since there hasn’t been a lot of official Vetra Nyx merch yet (I’ll be here waiting for my Funko Pop!), fan artists and writers have filled the gap with some great stuff. Here are just a few of my favorites.

  Vetra is so pretty and shiny! Thanks, @dragonsworncosmetics. Can’t wait to order Drack and Ryder next. 💕

A post shared by Ness (@paperbytheton) on Apr 12, 2017 at 12:52pm PDT

Vetra nailpolish by Dragonsworn Cosmetics.

If y’all don’t know about Dragonsworn, y’all are in for a treat. This indie Etsy shop sells fandom nailpolishes, lipglosses, eyeshadows, and lotions—all of which are amazing. The Vetra polish is no exception. The purple base is the color of Vetra’s markings, and the teal and gold glitter are reminiscent of her armor. Pictures don’t do this polish justice, and it looks great with a shiny or matte topper. The polish applies super evenly, and I usually get about a week or so out of it before it starts chipping. Even though there’s lots of glitter, it’s not hard to get off your nails.

Verdict: Highly, highly recommend.

Looks pretty and smells pretty—just like Vetra.

There, there. Not everyone can be as great as Vetra.

Vetra candle by Silvan Naturals.

I love candles, and I love fandoms, so this Etsy shop is pretty much the best of both worlds. In addition to soy candles, Silvan Naturals also sells fandom bath bombs, solid perfumes, lip balms, and other bath goodies. I picked up her Vetra candle, and y’all. It gives me so many feels. The scent is perfect—vanilla, sandalwood, jasmine, and lavender. It’s a lovely light scent that isn’t overly sweet and cloying. (And it comes in a solid perfume, which is my next purchase from this shop for sure because I am Vetra Nyx trash now.) In my headcanon, it’s what Vetra smells like after trading Jaal solder for lotion. This lovely purple and glittery candle comes in a 6-ounce metal tin.

Verdict: Buy this now. Thank me later.

It’s everything I hoped it would be. cc: @chaosxing

A post shared by Ness (@paperbytheton) on May 3, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT

Everyone wants a spikey girlfriend mug by bravestbrain

I am very picky when it comes to travel mugs, mostly because I drop stuff a lot and I don’t want to have to buy a new mug every week. So no cute ceramic travel mugs for me. Luckily, Redbubble is there for both my clumsiness and Vetra needs. There’s a lot of excellent Vetra Nyx fanart, but I went with the best flirt option in the whole damn game: “Everyone wants a spikey girlfriend.” Friends, this mug is everything. The art on it is adorable (precious Vetra face). It’s stainless steel and has a lid that screws on tightly. Because of the lid’s design, I haven’t had any problems with leaks. It is apparently dishwasher safe, but I usually just wash it by hand at work once I’m done with my coffee. I’ve used it every day for a month now, and the mug still looks flawless.

Verdict: I’ll take about 10 more, thanks.

Hark! An adorable turian.

Vetra sticker by DisfiguredStick

Now that I’m in grad school, I’ve wholeheartedly embraced covering the entirety of my laptop with stickers. Obviously, I had to get one of my beautiful space girlfriend. I went with this chibi sticker from DisfiguredStick, and I have absolutely no regrets. It’s the cutest. It’s removable (for when I get a new laptop, natch). And it tells everyone that I am here to romance adorable turian ladies.

Verdict: It’s everything I ever wanted in a sticker.

This doesn’t have anything to do with the fic, but enjoy another picture of Vetra being a BAMF.

“a moment in time (and space)” by bringham

You knew I had to rec some fic. There is not nearly enough Vetra/f!Ryder fic, but there are definitely some gems out there. This one, about Vetra and Ryder trying to have an evening together and getting blocked by Director Tann, is charming and delightful. Bringham is spot on with all the characters’ voices and gets at the heart of what is ultimately a loving relationship based on mutual respect, affection, and never letting Vetra cook steak again.

Verdict: 10/10. Would read again.

  What are your favorite places to get fannish stuff? And please send me your Vetra/f!Ryder fic recs (or hit me up if you want more recs yourself!). I need more than 15 bookmarks of these two dorks in love.

[game-refraction]

Game Review: Mass Effect - Andromeda (PS4 Pro)

Right from the start, Mass Effect: Andromeda felt lazy. The shift to a whole new galaxy with the dream of exploring strange new worlds and interacting with elements never before seen in a Mass Effect game held such promise. This dream, however, never comes to fruition as Andromeda never attempts to carve new ground or offer us new gameplay experiences and plays it far too safe for its own good. While the game can certainly entertain, and the final few hours are nothing short of breathtaking, the journey there is filled with a mostly “been there done that” approach, not to mention the technical shortcomings that are apparent everywhere, no matter your platform.

Mass Effect: Andromeda sees you play as one sibling of the Ryder family, choosing either a male or female lead. This choice will mostly dictate your relationships in the game as I never felt that my choice as playing as a female Ryder had any weight to the core story or my interactions with characters throughout the journey. The character creation system is fairly bare bones and just attempting to craft anyone even remotely attractive was a chore that took me almost an hour from start to finish, mostly due to the fact you create both male and female siblings. Once I was fine with the customizing of the Ryder family I set forth to do my part in the Andromeda galaxy.

Andromeda begins on the Ark Hyperion, a ship containing thousands of individuals in cryostasis as they made their 600-year journey to the Andromeda galaxy, specifically the Helios cluster. Your Ryder character is brought out of cryostasis as you approach a golden world, a planet that is suitable for supporting a new way of life for those aboard the ship. Certain events occur early on when you find one of these supposed golden worlds and you suddenly become the Pathfinder, an individual charged with tracking down new locations that can play host to settling down new colonies. You are also gifted an AI called SAM that is crucial to the work the Pathfinder needs to do, and a relationship that offers new discoveries that will lead to the very survival of the Andromeda Initiative itself.

Eventually, you’ll gain control of your own ship and can traverse the Helios cluster to explore these strange new worlds and seek out new civilizations, but you’ll soon discover that this large open map is mostly a sham, giving you only a few select planet’s that you can actually explore and the vast majority is there just to scan for resources. When I found my first derelict ship I was heartbroken that I could only scan the vessel for resources instead of boarding the ship and seeing what dangers would await me. Sure, you’ll come across a few ships that you can actually board but those are mission specific and not part of any free-formed exploration. This large sprawling space map is made even worse by the excessive loading times of panning out from one planet to the next, and while a recent patch has made this a bit more bearable, the 60 hours I spent pre-patch would slow the game to a crawl when I would bounce from planet to planet to scan for resources. There are even a few side quests that involve tracking various things through space and they are the most tedious activities I’ve ever seen in a Mass Effect game.

As you explore the Helios cluster you’ll encounter the Nexus, a central hub that is designed as the port for other Ark’s containing various species like the Asari, Salarian, and more. It is here that you’ll discover that not everything about the Andromeda Initiative is going as planned and frankly, they are shocked when your Ark actually shows up. You’ll visit this location so often that it tends to lose its charm after a while and you begin to notice how lifeless this game can be. You’ll rarely see NPC’s walking about or doing anything constructive. Sure, you’ll see dozens of people standing around, but that’s it, they are just standing around. There is much talk in the game about how the people that are unthawed from cryostasis are specialists and are important to the Andromeda Initiative, but you’ll see the same guy sitting on the same couch for the entire game.

Once you are given the task to find new golden worlds to colonize, you’ll start to be able to set down outposts on planet’s that can support life. The first planet to allow you to do this is Eos, a planet covered in various levels of radiation. Eventually, you’ll discover the Nomad, a six-wheeled vehicle that can shield you from most of that radiation, but not all of it. The Nomad is a blast to drive around and a huge upgrade from the Mako from previous Mass Effect games. As you explore Eos you’ll discover the Remnant, a race of sentient robots that look to protect locations called vaults. These vaults are crucial in making planets viable for life and are unlocked by solving sudoku style puzzles that can become fairly tedious to solve after a while. The vaults are large sprawling locations that are very enjoyable dungeon-like experiences with a few puzzle mechanics thrown in here and there. When a vault has been completed you will start to see the planet’s environmental hazards lessen and this is true on every planet you’ll visit that contains a vault. This will then open up more of the planet to explore after a while and give you more to do. I did find it odd that you only ever set up one outpost per planet despite the sheer size of said planet. I would have loved the ability to scan the planet from space and set down outposts on sections of the surface that showed high concentrations of certain resources, even if I couldn’t visit them. I feel this would have made the Andromeda Initiative feel more productive than what the game currently offers.

It was going to be impossible for a new protagonist to rightfully follow in the footsteps of Commander Shepard, and they more or less did an ok job here with Ryder. With the removal of the paragon and renegade system to dictate the path of your Ryder, the changes here are small differences in dialogue, but this system tends to fall flat. Ryder just isn’t consistently interesting and the dialogue doesn’t always convey what is actually said when picking certain options. There is even a dialogue choice with Suvi later on where both responses mean the exact same thing. This fumble with the dialogue system makes Ryder feel less like your own creation and more like a scripted strict-canon character. There are some strong moments with Ryder that make me hopeful the character gets better treatment the next time around.

The original Mass Effect games contained some of the most memorable and compelling characters of any video game franchise. Characters like Garrus, Tali, Liara, Mordin, and Thane, were just amazing and I could easily spout out half a dozen more. Even side characters that you couldn’t equip to your squads were impressive and felt like real people, fleshed out with well-written dialogue and believable interactions. Andromeda just doesn’t compare with even some of the series more bland characters and easily has the worst cast of the entire franchise. There are Cora and Liam who are by the book generic human characters who rarely have anything worth saying and never made me care about them at all. The Turian, Vetra Nyx, started off really impressive but started to fade and become less interesting the further the game went on. Nakmor Drack is the typical grizzled old Krogan and echo’s much of what we’ve seen before with a Krogan companion. I will say that Nakmor paired with certain people on a mission can result in some fun and often hilarious conversations, especially about a certain someone’s parentage.

The last two members of the team are Jaal and Peebee and are the only two characters that really stood out for me. Jaal is an Angara, one of the new races of aliens you will encounter in your travels. While he can feel written like this game’s version of Javik from Mass Effect 3, he becomes our window into the Angara race and one of the more interesting parts of the game. Peebee, however, stole the show for me and joins the ranks of characters like Jack, Mordin, and Thane. I flat out loved Peebee and she was never removed from my party since I first gained access to her. I’ve loved the oddball female companions in the past few Bioware games like Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition as characters like Merrill and Sera brought a somewhat fresh personality to an often bland genre. Peebee was fun, often hilarious and I would literally hang on her every word. She’s interested in alien tech and this can lead to many great discoveries like a little alien robot that can be added to your attack skills and can act as a fourth member of your three man team.

You also have a few other companions on the ship that serve as the remainder of your crew. There’s Kallo, Suvi, Gil, and Dr. Lexi T’Perro. These few characters can have a lot to say and can be fairly entertaining from time to time. There are Gil and Kallo’s arguments over the repairs to the ship, or Lexi’s constant reminder for you to watch your health, not to mention she’s voiced by Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer, who is just amazing here. I would have romanced Suvi as her accent is just to die for, but the final romance scene with her is just beyond disappointing. While many characters are able to be romanced in the game, complete with some very revealing scenes, there are so few characters that get the attention they deserve and it becomes very apparent that Bioware had clear favorites and spent far more time on a few characters than spreading the love around.

The main threat this time around is the Kett, a race with an origin deeply tied to the core narrative of the game. While the Kett can be an imposing threat and attack in large numbers, the basic design of them is lacking and not as well conceived as prior series villains. The Archon, for example, has a face that is almost hilarious to look at and I couldn’t help but smirk when we are first introduced to the character. Thankfully, it’s only the basic unit Kett and the Archon that suffer from a mediocre design as the remaining Kett all look rather impressive and look and feel threatening. I thought the way that the Kett were used here with regards to the story to be a refreshing change from the previous trilogy and with how the game wraps up, I’m eager to see what is in store for them in the future.

I also found it rather odd that when you meet the Angara for the first time that it is this huge deal and a rather important moment in the history of their race, but it never delves much into the fact that they are meeting not only humans but Asari, Krogan, Salarian and more, all at once. The game just sorts of skims over it like we are not supposed to focus on that and just move on with the story being told.

Despite several bland characters and some recycled game mechanics from previous entries, the combat here is absolutely fantastic and the best the series has seen so far. Each encounter is thrilling and fast paced and with the added use of a jet pack, it offers some interesting ways to combat the likes of the Remnant, Kett and the odd group of Scavengers. The combat isn’t completely revolutionary as it does feel like a more finely tuned version of what we had in Mass Effect 2 and 3. You have various Biotic skills and abilities to hotkey for instant use in a crucial moment of survival, or simply to just pick up an enemy with pull and then slingshot them over the edge of a mountain with your push ability. You can swap shoulders quick enough and can equip various guns that you’ll either find, buy or craft with blueprints and resource items you track down, each with varying levels of rarity. The jet pack allows you to dodge left or right rather quickly, or take to the skies in a temporary moment of vulnerability. You can also equip various melee weapons like Asari swords or the large, but slow, Krogan hammers. I never tired of the combat and the Remnant and Kett always had a trick or two up their sleeve to make battles intense and action packed. The game also uses a dynamic cover system that works without a button press and it can be a bit hit and miss in its execution.

You are equipped with a scanner that you’ll frequently use to scan various pieces of tech, vegetation, and organic life. These scans, as well as a few other methods, are the way you’ll unlock points to buy blueprints for new armor and new weapons, as well as augments needed to make them more powerful. There are various categories of goods to craft that each visually look impressive and have stats that can work towards your playstyle. Once I had enough points in my Remnant research I crafted a whole Remnant set that looked incredible and the guns were as equally impressive, not to mention you get to rename your creations. You can also change the color of the armor anytime you want in Ryder’s quarters aboard your ship, something I didn’t know until a few dozen hours into the game. The materials needed for crafting are easy to come by as long as you are paying attention while you explore. It’s not a drastically deep system but it functions well enough to be useful. You’ll also unlock perks that give you more inventory space and the ability to earn research points faster and more efficiently. I did find that inventory space was way too small as a maximum 60 items was just downright pitiful, but thankfully the game’s latest patch improves that to 200 items and makes collecting a set of each armor more realistic.

I’ll point out as well that despite the cool looking armor and guns that you can equip to Ryder, none of it can be equipped to your teammates, making them box-art perfect for the entire experience. You don’t even get a new flashy look if you complete their Loyalty quests. During combat, you can give them targets, but you cannot instruct them to use their powers in ways that you deem fit. I found the AI to be lacking and they’d stick fairly close to you unless you pressed the left or right of the d-pad and gave them targets to focus on. Thankfully, you can upgrade their own skills should you want a certain character to have access to certain skills or particular stat increases.

Accepting side quests and completing missions is as it has always been in a Mass Effect game. You’ll talk with your crew between missions to unlock their loyalty quests, various NPC’s standing around on planet hub’s that need something done, and important markers on the map that show which quest is active. The main core missions are well designed and very entertaining, but the side quests are what vary in quality and can drag down the experience here. There’s a side quest early on where you track down the truth behind a murder that while fun in execution, has a complete blunder of a resolution and that seems to happen for a lot of the side quests here. Each time a quest would see me travel from planet to planet or scan the various planet’s in the cluster would see me roll my eyes and let out a few choice curse words. There are, however; several side quests that take place entirely on the planet that are extremely well designed and thoroughly fun that I wish there had been more like them and less of the fetch quests that artificially make the game longer.

Multiplayer is back here and feels very much akin to what was offered the last go-around. You join a team of a few players and battle wave after wave until the dropship comes in and picks you up. You’ll level up various classes that have a specific set of equipment and skills and use those characters to earn points to unlock reward chests in the hopes of unlocking new gear, items and cross your fingers, more characters. I’ve played a few rounds as I already knew what to expect and it can be a solid good time with a group of friends, but I do feel it lacks staying power in its current form.

There has been much talk about the visuals in Andromeda and I’ll get the good out of the way first as the game is a pretty mixed bag. Environments look solid and planets like the ice covered Voeld or the jungle filled Havarl are gorgeous to look at and explore. Each location is packed full of detail and even large open areas like the deserts of Elaaden are interesting to explore, even if some structures on the map feel generically placed here and there. The creatures and non-humanoid aliens are remarkable and species like the Krogan and Salarian look really impressive. I found that differences between the PS4 Pro and Xbox One versions were that the Pro delivered better visuals for the environment and small subtle things for characters and their clothes, but nothing really drastic that makes one clearly better over the other, but for graphical purists, stick with the Pro version for now.

The game, however; fails to impress when you are dealing with any humanoid characters like the Asari and well, humans themselves. Before the current patch, eyes looked awful and characters had awkward stares and looks of disinterest or shock. Facial animations are also lackluster and in some cases, painful to watch. I’ve had small moments that were meant to be touching and heartfelt ruined because the characters arms were flailing around or they had no eyelids because of some sort of glitch. I’ve had characters drop from the sky when I would exit the Nomad to my companions walking through walls or falling into the floor. There were several times that I would see textures failing to load (see picture) or kept loading during an entire conversation. There were several times that I would shoot a single enemy and multiple more enemies would just suddenly appear to phase out of him, it’s bizarre to see. I’ve seen videos on Youtube of characters curling into a pretzel or crab walking up stairs, essentially what I am saying is this is not a polished game in any regard and feels like a step back from even Mass Effect 3.

Voice acting is pretty decent but somewhat hit and miss in several areas. I only found a few characters to really stand out and come off as providing a strong effort. I was also disappointed in Ryder, as while my experience with the game was as a female Ryder, I felt she lacked an authoritative voice like that of female Shepard in the previous trilogy. The gender of the Ryder you don’t pick is somewhat present in the game and you get a good amount of dialogue from them as well, giving me an idea of what a male Ryder would have sounded like, and man does he ever sound like Nolan North, which he isn’t by the way. Characters like Peebee, Lexi, Suvi, and Sloane Kelly were easily my favorite and it was really interesting to hear so many female Krogan as well. Bioware usually is heads and shoulders above the industry when it comes to voice acting, but Andromeda felt like a step back with what we usually expect from the studio.

Despite my issues with the game, and my god there are issues, I still enjoyed the core gameplay elements of Mass Effect: Andromeda. The story is ok at times and it wasn’t until you-know-what hits the fan that the game really got interesting and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The first half of the game has some awful dialogue and piss-poor writing but that tends to go somewhat away after a few hours until the fan fiction level of quality rears its ugly head again from time to time. Andromeda definitely has the weakest cast of the series with only a small handful of them really being a solid effort put forth by Bioware and that translates into the effort I feel was put towards much of the other elements in the game. Andromeda is beyond glitchy and made me question if this game had even been play-tested at all. While the studio is hard at work correcting and fixing most-if-not-all of these glitches, that first impression is a sour taste for sure. Exploration can be enjoyable but I can’t help shake the feeling of it being semi-scripted in many ways. Mass Effect: Andromeda is a fun, but vastly flawed game that provides the bare minimum effort needed for it to feel like a new entry in the Mass Effect series while not offering us much of anything new. I enjoyed my time exploring vaults with Peebee as she’d talk about her family and the fact that her dad is a.. well, I guess you’ll just have to find out yourself.

Mass Effect: Andromeda was reviewed with a retail copy of the PS4 Deluxe Edition and played on a Playstation 4 Pro and all screenshots were taken via the share function via twitter. Xbox One comparisons were based on observations of the game being played.

as for that Pretzel animation? Enjoy.. or cringe.. either way..

Game Review: Mass Effect – Andromeda (PS4 Pro) was originally published on Game-Refraction