Most Underrated Game: One Year Later

It's been a heck of a year in gaming since march of 2017. Fast forward to a year later, one week before March 21, 2018, and we have had one of the best years in gaming history.

The hype for Mass Effect Andromeda was high but skeptical at this point last year with the EA early access and weird facial animations. At least on this forum. I personally joined the forum bc at the time I was looking for a new career, and I was impressed by all the footage I had seen of the game. I was also hyped for 4K HDR gaming.

Despite my own gripes about the game (uneccesary cliffhangers, no vehicle combat, not as much enemy variation, Asari Clones, no melee combos/various animations, and weak main antagonist), I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It's really the only game since mass effect 1 that gives me the same space odyssey feeling where the joy of playing simply comes from exploring alien planets and commanding your ship/crew. It's also one of the few games where I could connect with the protagonist as Ryder was more of a rookie in over his head rather than a trained veteran.

I have played Zelda: BoTW, Horizon Zero Dawn, Assassins Creed Origins, Shadow of War, Nier Automata, Monster Hunter World, Mario Odyssey, Destiny 2, Battlefront 2, Ghost Recon Wildlands this year. I've also replayed some of Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption, MGS Phanton Pain, asssassin creed Blackflag, fallout 4, Mad Max, and Watch dogs 2.

After diving into all of these games, I still think Mass Effect Andromeda is one of my favorite gaming experiences this past year. I think it was the level of immersion in a sci fi outer space world that no other game has ever offered. Similar to how I truly felt like a pirate and assassin in AC Blackflag at every moment or similar to how I truly felt like Batman in Arkham Knight, ME Andromeda immersed me in the boots of an explorer who becomes a hero.

I think, in my opionion, Mass Effect Andromeda was the most underrated game this past year. It is the most underrated game I think I have ever played when analyzing everything it offers compared to other games.

Yes it deserves some criticism, but it is a shame to not see the game expanded upon. If I had the resources, I would fully back a sequel and improve on what was already pretty awesome.

And a polished turd is still a turd. This is not the case for MEA. It was more of the slightly odd looking mutt at the kennel that no one gave a chance so it was put down.