So "we moved on". Did it benefit the franchise afterall?

It's more likely that people would have bitched about it not being open world, because Witcher 3 had an open world.  

We didn't move on in game though.  The whole game is just callbacks to the OT in regards to gameplay, thematic material, and story elements.

The nomad is the mako, but worse
Planet scanning is back, but worse
Cora is Miranda, but worse
Drack is Wrex, but worse
Vetra is Garrus, but worse
Liam is Jacob, but I guess slightly better
the Remnant are the Protheans, but worse

throughout Andromeda there is nothing comparable to ME2's cinematography, ME3's best story points, or ME1's world building.  It is just an all around disappointing game.

It's weird people say this. I only just got into MET in 2016 and MEA felt nothing like it except for intentional reminiscence on certain planets. I thought Liam would be Kaidan and he's nothing like him, same with Cora. She's not Ash or Miranda. I spent hours getting to know the MET cast, same with MEA. There's no copies imo. Liam is open and emotional, Jacob is a rock. I see nothing the same but skin color and that's not a good way to compare people.

Oh and during MEA development people begged for the Mako, so we got the Nomad.

It's amazing how the more BW gives, the more people demand. Like DA2. Not open word enough, copied locations, DAI too open, missing DA2's repeated levels.

You're right, Kaidan actually managed to have interesting content after three games, perhaps Liam will follow suit, but right now he's squarely at the bottom.  Cora is such a rip off of Miranda they didn't even try coming up with new concept art for her, just took one of the rejected designs from Miranda and added in asari love.

There's nothing original with the characters here.  Vetra's overriding concern is....looking out for her kid sister, haven't seen that before, Drack is ... too old for this shit... Peebee is ....an asari archaeologist interested in the civilization that left behind technologically advanced ruins, but less virgin bait

we must have played two different games

With the future of Mass Effect being a bit unclear because of Mass Effect Andromeda, I started thinking about all the moments leading up to the release of MEA.

I remember most fans just wanting to "move on" and eagerly leave everyone and everything we knew in the past. New stories, new characters,new adventures and a whole new setting ,while others felt the franchise should have continued somehow with Shepard.

I know , MEA' s failings have less to do with its setting and more to do with a myriad other things,but I wanted to open a discussion for fans to talk about their opinions on whether the departure to a spin-off was better or worse than making an actual sequel.

Yes, a sequel (ME4) would mean rewriting the endinds of ME3 and that wouldn't be feasible anyway. However, having seen and played Mass Effect Andromeda ,would anyone have preferred a ME4 with Shepard instead of what we got, afterall? Just a hypothetical question.


My humble opinion is that the franchise is so rich and ripe for stories we could have gotten both. If only,Bioware had planned it better.

Feel free to discuss.