Why I Stopped Playing Mass Effect Andromeda.

I summarize why I chose to leave this game’s story hanging for myself.

I am a picky reader. I do not read books unless prominent reviews suggest that their narrative provides readers with a new perspective or masterful writing. As with many other people, my time is limited, and I seek to enrich my life with meaningful experiences as much as possible. Given that I also enjoy consuming video games, another medium of artistic expression, it is no surprise that I apply similar stringency to the games that I consume.

I game for the story, and it was the story that first drew me to Mass Effect Andromeda. Given my fascination with science fiction and space, a story centred on exploring the unknown with its challenges sounded appealing. While reviews were not wholly kind in critiquing game glitches and commenting on other issues, a hefty discount on Steam was enough motivation for me to invest in the story and see what it was really like. Ultimately, I was not surprised by my experience.

The general summary of this game is that you represent the son or daughter of an explorer tasked with leading thousands of individuals to another galaxy. Naturally, not everything goes according to plan, and ultimately the role of Pathfinder is thrust upon your character. It becomes your responsibility to explore this new galaxy and find a home for your people. The situation becomes more complicated when you learn of fanatical aliens, the Kett, who promptly attack your group and establish themselves as the story’s villains.

My number one criticism of this game, and why I ultimately chose to stop playing it after around 12 hours of gameplay, is that it does not do anything new. The game follows other AAA titles in presenting an expansive sandbox for the player. There are copious amounts of missions, items to unlock, relationships with crew members to develop, and planets to terraform to occupy a motivated player for likely hundreds of hours. The story asserts a sense of purpose towards the protagonist’s actions that could motivate one to see the story through and do their part for one’s virtual companions.

However, so much of this has been done ad nauseam in other games, and there was nothing special about this iteration of…