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BioWare addresses 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' complaints, will reveal full plans in April

MASS EFFECT™: ANDROMEDA – Official Sara Ryder Trailer
Mass Effect: Andromeda released less than two weeks ago, and the first entry in the series since 2012’s
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Mass Effect 3 received a mixed reception, both from critics and longtime fans. Characters’ awkward facial animations and dialogue, clunky menus, and uninteresting side content were all points of criticism, but BioWare remains committed to improving the game in the future.

In a tweet posted by the studio, BioWare acknowledged that it has received “quite a bit of feedback” regarding Andromeda, and that it continues to welcome constructive criticism as it continue post-launch development.

“That feedback is an important part of our ongoing support of the game, and we can’t wait to share more of our immediate plans with you on Tuesday, April 4,” the studio said.

BioWare didn’t specify just what it plans to address in the immediate future. Mass Effect 3 received an update shortly after it launched with an “extended cut” of its ending, expanding slightly on some narrative decisions and offering a little more closure. But the narrative and dialogue issues in Andromeda aren’t related to one particular plot point or conversation, but rather point to a decay in quality that is evident throughout most of the game.

The most infamous problem in Andromeda thus far, the poor-quality facial animations, is likely to be addressed. Former BioWare developer Jonathan Cooper recently explained that algorithms and text-based lip-syncing meant that some of the scenes may have not been touched by human hands. He recommended that the series transition to full facial motion capture in the future — a large undertaking given the amount of dialogue in the Mass Effect series, but its success in games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Far Cry 4 is hard to ignore.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is now available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
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