#it's the same thing that ryder in ME:A suffered from but that's a different rant

[crazyvoveriukas]

My recent gaming experience

A comparison of my experience playing ME: Andromeda and Horizon Zero Dawn (basically, throw all your money to Horizon Zero Dawn, but details below; broad overview, no specific story spoilers, I don’t think so at least)

1. The “meh” (or more like “ugh”). Mass Effect: Andromeda. As many people might know, my love of gaming was rekindled by the Mass Effect Trilogy which I replayed quite a few times, so I was really excited about Andromeda (wooooo!). I’m also a big science fiction fan. But, well, shit. Maybe I made the mistake of buying it when it’s not complete (2 weeks after release), but damn, the experience was mostly terrible or worse - “meh” - with an occasional “ok, that was funny”. I had sooo many bugs (so so many.. it seems I’ve experienced everything the latest patch would fix). But for a good story I can suffer bugs, sub-par animations, etc. It didn’t deliver to me on that part: - you do not want to explore the planets as it is “desert, snow desert, desert, min jungle, desert” so as soon as I could I’d just jump to quick travel points. I understand that in theory, but when you are promised exploration, the whole terraforming shit just doesn’t cut it. Fuck you. - side missions are boring and rarely add up to the story (I have to jump to different fucking clusters again? Spend 20min doing that for a 2min resolution? Ugh) - many of the companions are one dimensional and underdeveloped, and Ryder does not seem relateable at all, the voice acting is meh too (emotions, please!!!) still, talking to them is the more enjoyable part of the game, if we could just have that, I’d be less bitter. Still, I would barely have any banter in the Nomad (another bug? sigh...) - the main story is lacluster, the villains and ancients seem recycled, the remnants make geth sounds which was distracting, don’t feel any urgency or rush to do shit - nothing surprises you, the writing is mediocre and boring, doesn’t engage at all (the most interesting part was Reyes’ arc, that’s it) - I soldiered through, the Jaal romance was ok, but I didn’t feel good leaving Reyes in the end, and then I couldn’t get rid of that bitch asari journalist, ffs! I thought you’d have an option of “no” later, but no. So it pissed me off royally. - Where’s depth? Anyone? no? - All in all it’s a 5/10 experience tops. I know the latest patches fixed a lot of things, but I do not find the stroy interesting enough to replay it and spend some 60+h of my time. Compare this to everything in Witcher 3, Andromeda flops so so badly.

2. The freaking SUBLIME CREATION THAT IS HORIZON ZERO DAWN. If you do not have a PS4, borrow it, steal it from a friend, anything, but this game is a must (I played it after Me:A, and it felt like a glass of water after travelling all day in scorching heat) - amazing lead female protagonist - amazing characters (the NPCs are super, complex people, complex motivations) - the true diversity (races, sizes, cultures, everything) - the visuals are stunning - the need to explore is overwhelming - the combat is spectacular (I really do not like to strategise in my games, but HZD makes it so enjoyable and fulfilling, it makes me want to cry) - the story goes places you do not expect, I was surprised, and in awe so so many times, it made me cry within the first few hours of playing, and then again, and then I was just sitting with my mouth open) - she is a self-driven protagonist, she has her goals, so there’s flirting, but no romances, and it’s good, it works so so well (hey, I love my romances as the next person, but I didn’t miss that here) - doing the side missions doesn’t feel like fetch quest, everything has a purpose, and almost everything pays off in some way or another at some part of the game, or for your skills and getting better at the gameplay. - you just want to spend an hour admiring the sunsets, sunrises, changing weather, the different and vast environments, the machine interactions - the machines are not just walking around there aimlessly, or appearing for you to kill them - they have “personalities”, behaviours. - the soundtrack is one the most beautiful you will ever hear - a world run by women? yes please! Women who take no shit? yes, please! characters who grow and learn? yes, please! - NPCs aren’t just there for you to interact, they have shit to do as well. - I can’t really express my love for this game, it is worth every penny, and more! I already have plans to replay it, because AWESOME (oh, and did I mention, no bugs? even though we bought it shortly after release as a present to my husband? yep, no bugs) - and the animations, oh my god, the voice acting - so much depth, emotion, sass - it has everything.  - you can feel that Guerilla games put so much love into this, you feel it in every detail, and they loooove their fans! - I’m not saying anything about the story because you need to experience it, and experience you will. It will leave a love shaped hole in your soul and you will never look at games the same way again because it’s impossible to compare. - 12/10 rating. I think I’m done ranting. Also, games that are better than Andromeda: Witcher 2 and 3, Journey, Mortal Combat XL, Tales from the Borderlands, the Mass Effect trilogy, the Dragon Age trilogy, the Descent 1 and 2, and I guess many more.