Parents' Guide to

Mass Effect: Andromeda

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Deep, violent, mature space tale also focuses on acceptance.

Mass Effect: Andromeda Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 6 parent reviews

age 14+

Underrated

The negative hype for this game is largely uninteresting and dishonest. So many people are quick to hate something for being new, or different. I feel that is what happened here. I've played through this game, in addition to the other Mass Effect games many times. This is my favourite of all of them. The good: Ryder - a better protagonist than Shepard, in my opinion. No matter how I controlled Shepard, I never felt like they were similar to me. I enjoyed playing Ryder because her dialogue choices (my picks) were pretty similar to things I'd actually say, but then again, I am a sarcastic person. Jaal - To those complaining about human/alien relationships, come on. He's perfect. Dialogue - I love quirky characters with fun, sarcastic dialogue. The other ME games had that, but this felt more like the awesome dialogue in Dragon Age. Ryder proving themselves - you have to make yourself awesome. You're not already awesome and respected. Detailed worlds Good graphics - Despite the negativity, I saw no real issues with character animations. Sometimes, it'd look a bit funny, but it's a video game. They all have that. Music ______________________________________________ The bad: Choices are a bit limited - they don't have much consequence (yet). Many of the choices are geared for a sequel. Some in-game choices have the same outcome, depending on dialogue. I don't care for morality meters, but they're helpful sometimes with where you stand with a character. I don't remember this having one. Gameplay - sometimes, can get repetitive. But, once you're on it, it's awesome to see your outposts build up. I don't care much for really hard combat, but a lot of the combat here is rather easy. I don't remember dying from a bad guy other than accidentally falling during a platform session. Bad guy - the main baddie is rather weak to me. He's that typical big bad guy who's just a jerk. Many of the smaller villains are much more menacing or intriguing. One villain in particular is just plain hilarious. There's a part where a bad guy is trying to communicate with you and a teammate via a video communicator. You or your friend keeps hitting the device to turn it off and each time it turns back on, the bad guy music starts up again. No sequel - I really, truly hope a sequel comes of this at some point. There was so much complaining that it seemed as though the franchise was abandoned. I'm really hoping the complainers didn't ruin it for the rest of us forever. The story isn't complete.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
age 15+

EPIC SPACE ADVENTURE, HAS SOME VIOLENCE AND SEX

Mass effect Andromeda is a great game! For those that like space exploration and Craft their own gaming experience, this is a title they shouldn't miss. Some profound philosophical questions are raised thought the game: Is there a God? What are the danger's of Artificial Intelligence? The player can chose if his or her character is going to be kind or angry, thoughtful or irresponsible. It also helps the player to understand that they should accept everyone (despite of their differences), and that teamwork is essential for success (achieve our objectives). It also encourages us to explore the unknown, and that there are consequences for our actions. There's some violence (but not very gory), the player can kill aliens and humans NPCs alike, using several weapons (blood can be seen). There's also a lot of flirting in game (at the players choice), and he or she can choose to romance other characters (sexual relations are employed). Some drinking, infrequent profanities.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (6):

This long-awaited follow-up to BioWare's critically acclaimed space epic meets and even exceeds some expectations but falls short on others. Mass Effect: Andromeda continues the franchise's tradition of rich, multifaceted storytelling by introducing dozens of new and complicated characters, each with colorful backgrounds, knotty motives, and personal agendas. And they're involved in authentic, relatable conflicts that range from frictional relationships with colleagues and political rivalries to splintered political beliefs and ideologies, even as they face the broader mysteries and menaces of their new galactic neighborhood. The heart of the experience is getting to know and care about these people, watching as they overcome differences with friends, foes, strangers, and even aliens to create bonds and build a better home in Andromeda.

Where the experience occasionally falters is in some of its nonnarrative elements. Exploration of Andromeda is a blast. Whether you're surveying planets amid jaw-droppingly beautiful space vistas in Ryder's state-of-the-art starship, the Tempest, or piloting the six-wheel-drive Nomad, cresting craters and glaciers on any of a handful of enormous, free-to-explore alien worlds, the sense of discovery is rarely less than enthralling. But the frequent combat that Ryder and his (or her) team is forced to engage in feels a little too forced and frequent, especially given the colonists' desire for peace and harmony. Plus, beyond some cool "biotic" abilities -- some of which feel like pilfered Force powers -- fighting isn't particularly compelling, thanks to finicky controls and simple enemy AI. Still, most people aren't playing Mass Effect for its futuristic shoot-outs. They're more interested in its expansive universe, authentic characters, relevant -- and sometimes even topical -- conflicts, and fascinating sci-fi ideas. And in these areas, Mass Effect: Andromeda rarely disappoints.

Game Details

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