My 100% honest opinion on this game (Warning long post)

    So before I get into my opinion on this game, let my start off by saying I haven't been 100% honest about my experience with Mass Effect. I got into the series really REALLY late. Like mid 2016 late. Hell for a while I wasn't even a big gamer, I just played sports games and League of Legends occasionally. My main issue with single player games was I either sucked so bad and gave up on them or got bored with them. I tried ME2 back in 2012 but couldn't get into it. Last year was a different story, I found ME3 for $3 my firend said I should get it. I eventually went back to ME2 and loved every moment of it, I immideately started playing ME3 and liked it, didn't even mind the ending. I did eventually get the whole trilogy set and played through the series again, I'll admit ME1 was a struggle because of how poorly the combat has aged, I also got all the DLC and played it. Without going into further detail let's just say Mass Effect helped me get through an EXTREMELY difficult time in my life. I also haven't really played Dragon Age at all, I farted around with Inquisition some but haven't beat it, might revisit it.
   


      Anyway so Andromeda, I initially planned on buying this game on release (something I never do). However after mediocre review and constant reports of bugs I decided to wait. Ended up getting it for $9. I had low expectations for the game, but overall it exceeded my expectations........for the most part. For one I actually cared about the game enough to beat it and put 60 hrs into, again not something I don't always do, but I have to start with the negativ......These fucking stupid puzzles. Why is Mass Effect trying to be Uncharted? Who's brilliant idea was it to put this shit in here? I kid you not when I said I looked up how to do every puzzle and didn't even attempt them. Some other negatives include the lack of a true renegade Ryder for example 
while I actually kind of liked the new dialogue system but the lack of renegade options was disappointing. Wasn't that fond of the kett as enemies, they seemed like fodder, I never really felt like an explorer, also the council members (mostly Tamm and Addison) where terrible characters. I liked the crew more than seemingly most people did. I'm not saying they where as good as in the MET (no one as good as Tali, Garrrus or Joker) but overall I still liked most of them. I felt like the main story was just ok. Part of my issue is I played wrong, I advanced too far in the main story before doing any side missions, by the time I came back to the main story I had forgotten what I was even fighting. I thought the loyalty missions where going to be more ME2 style where the characters just outright told you they needed something done. Vetra was the only character I remember actually doing this. I didn't really how in depth Liam's loyalty mission was. Overall I felt like the story in the side missions and loyalty missions was actually better than the main story, not necessarily a bad thing but I feel like in a Mass Effect game that shouldn't be the case.
   


     Now as far as open world are concerned, this game was open world in the same way Metal Gear Solid 5 was. It had open segments with random enemies that you could easily bypass, the world itself was largely dead. I feel like in future games Bioware either needs to go all in on the open world concept or just drop it. I did like riding around in the nomad just to hear the crew banter. Speaking of which I thought 1 v 1 dialogue was actually quite good in this game, maybe even some of the best in the series. Romances where also done pretty well, I'm glad it wasn't just "push this button to bang" The combat was top notch, I liked being able to customize your abilities, eventually I found 3 I liked and stuck with them. The cover system and the lack of a pause took some getting use to but I was ok with it eventually. I'm not sure what they did to fix facial animations but I had no problem with them, I did have some occasional bugs though. Also I have to bring this up, the whole "SJW" agenda B.S. Maybe I'm blind but I didn't see it at all, I'm a conservative myself but I certainly didn't pick up on any agenda. If there was any agenda in this game it was a pro-religious one, but even that's grasping at straws.
   


     In the end I thought this game was far from perfect however it was definitely still enjoyable. I think it got more flack than it deserved, partially because people clearly have high expectations for Mass Effect games, if this was the first game in a new series it would have been praised. I think once people understand that the game is flawed they will enjoy it more. I'm just still sick to my stomach about what EA did with this studio. I feel like the game had potential, considering how rough the development period was, it didn't turn out half bad. I feel like with more experience, and some help from the A team, Andromeda 2 could have been (or still could be) a masterpiece of a game. I just can't help but wonder if internet hate ruined the Mass Effect franchise, sad considering I haven't had long to truly enjoy it. Overall this game did what many games have failed to do, keep me interested long enough to beat it. I might even play it again, just not until after I play the trilogy again.