The internet is brutally mocking Mass Effect: Andromeda's animations
Bugs and bad dialogue are not the topics of conversation EA probably hoped for during this preview phase.
Including Mass Effect: Andromeda in the Origin Access program looks increasingly like a mistake. Subscribers can currently play Andromeda's first two missions, plus the multiplayer, before it launches next week. None of the game beyond that point can be played, and what's there has now been livestreamed many times. A few of us at PC Gamer have played it, and had mixed feelings.
So with the early plot laid bare and the combat thoroughly investigated, all that's left to do is dunk on Andromeda's every flaw. Ugly facial expressions, bugged out animations, and clipping errors are doing the rounds on Twitter and NeoGAF, and lines like "my face is tired"—which sounds the work of a teenager on AIM in 2004—are ceaselessly being roasted.
I'm personally enjoying Andromeda despite these flaws (BioWare_Apologist has entered the chat) but I can't help but laugh at the overall shambles of the situation. You have EA pushing its subscription program with early access to a highly anticipated game, while that highly anticipated game only suffers for it. Ryder's ugly grimaces and animation bugs would've been tweeted on launch day too, but there would have been plenty else to move on to—new story beats and characters to talk about. Instead, all weekend, the most anticipated game of the year is going to be repeatedly owned. Like this...
Wait.. my face is tired? Is this an in-game explanation for the facial animations? pic.twitter.com/W5boDLT5IsMarch 16, 2017
Something tells me stuff like this is not what BioWare and EA were hoping people would be focusing on as Mass Effect nears release. pic.twitter.com/sQkEMmI2iuMarch 16, 2017
pic.twitter.com/Ids5kuOq7qMarch 16, 2017
When you walk into a clothing store just to look at shit and the clerk sneaks up on you to ask if you need help pic.twitter.com/Eg5tLVdsJAMarch 16, 2017
Did she just get sent to the Shadow Realm or what? pic.twitter.com/vxpYDWIcYsMarch 15, 2017
And finally, I am also guilty of joining the dogpile:
i'm interested to know if the rocks are floating pic.twitter.com/Bj6idluVZ5March 16, 2017
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Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.