The game received a lot of negative reviews back 2017 due to bugs and much needed patching. The bugs were game breaking; ruining not just my experience but many other players as well. So many problems were constantly happening I think it placed an ominous fog over the game. I am pleased to report that the game is polished and working great as of 2021!
It is the best of the series in regards to its free roam and exploration mechanics. The story has loads of potential that sadly I don't think we will see come to fruition. If EA had allowed Bioware the time to polish this game even more before releasing then it would have faired a lot better.
The characters in Andromeda are well written and fleshed out. By the end of my Andromeda playthrough I was just as invested in my squad mates as I previously was for the original trilogy. There's deep lore and loads of individual character building to wrap your paws around.
I have just come off of my playthrough in ME Legendary Edition and the Shepherd ride was classic epic and grand but Andromeda feels like a fresh new start. The Reaper threat is so central to the original trilogy, a serious threat that must be answered culminating in a massive galaxy wide confrontation for the Milky Way residents. New beginnings are an important central theme through out Andromedas story. You are the Pathfinder, the alien in this new story. If you're a big fan of the original trilogy like I am then my advice is go into this understanding that Ryder is not Alliance Military, he is the Pathfinder for the Initiative. In that same respect no one on his crew is military, just explorers representing the best of the Milky Way. This is very much Mass Effect but it's on the wild frontier away from the politics and council dramas of the first game. You and you're crew are all figuring all of this out together.
I sincerely hope the franchise can stick to its guns and go further with the foundation of story that was laid here. We don't need more Mily Way, the fans don't really know what they want and it sickens me that we didn't appreciate this gold. I hope Mass Effect 4 will essentially just be Andromeda 2 . I am looking at this with fresh eyes and a new perspective after returning to this game after 4 years for a second play through. I have been a long term ME fan and Andromeda IS GOOD! Thank you Bioware for all your hard work and love that went into this art. I sincerely desire gamers to give this another chance.