So, I (finally) finished MEA...

What a ride, for the Good, the Bad, and, forgive the reference, the Ugly.

If Kotaku's article is accurate (and I think it is), what an achievement completing this game in 18 months.

Still, it shows exactly that.

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I bought the game in the end of June, 50% off on Origin, after the initial patches. I never falied to preorder a Mass Effect, but after ME3's ending and all the controversy surrounding it,  the gaming industry practices made me a wary costumer. This was reinforced by the lack of MEA's content shown before the game's release.

My first impression was of a game with beautifully rendered maps, but very shallow dialogue. This persisted till the epilogue. The story feels like a first draft, as others have said, and should be a lot more refined in some areas.  The lack of clear progression and structure (inadvertently) gave rise to some epic moments: Surviving Eos radiation with a sliver of health after jumping from the cliff above Prodromos and reaching the safety zone right on time. Finding Turians on Havarl with Vetra on my side without even knowing they were there, just to be ambushed by the Roekaar, and surviving the encounter...
The animations were not so bad, I had my share of glitches (the funniest one was talking to Peebee's on the Tempest, she opended her arms and dissapeared through the roof!) None game breaking though.

The lack of beta testing is shown on simple design choices: you can't board the Tempest without leaving planets, the looong transitions
 between planets and Stellar Systems, the learning curve needed for researching and crafting, etc.

In the end, a Honest 7,5/10 game. Not bad, but not great. It's greatest sin, the ugliest part, is that it feels...boring. You have jetpacks, shotguns, krogans, and it still feels boring.

After 10 ME1 playthroughs, 12 ME2 and 2 ME3's with 1200 hours of MP, It's sad to realize I can't bother to start a new game, nor play the MP. This will likely be my first, and last, MEA experience. Specially after the recent "no more SP content" announcement.

Ten years playing Mass Effect, and it ended with a whimper.

To tell you all the truth: I think I'm not BWs target audience anymore. So, if you really liked the game, more power to you. For me, it's time to move on.