Patch 1.09 released last week and, since then, many Mass Effect: Andromeda players have been trying to figure out just where the so-called ‘various improvements’ have been made to the space-exploration title’s animation. As it turns out, the animations have been altered slightly in individual cutscenes, but nothing major has changed to the game.
In the video above, YouTuber YongYea demonstates some of the areas where the game has improved visually, with one infamous scene where Ryder sees her new ship for the first time being changed entirely due to the animation being so low quality. It appears that rather than continue to improve the game, BioWare has removed questionable shots or sequences, likely because there was no way to further improve the animation or visuals without serious manpower.
Additionally, some scenes now appear brighter, and minor adjustments have been made to character face models, but the game is still far from perfect. Mass Effect: Andromeda isn’t exactly the trainwreck that some critiques have made it out to be either; it has flaws but positive qualities as well. “Andromeda’s animation system is broken on a very fundamental level,” claims YongYea. “And there’s only so much that band-aids can do. Nothing short of a major overhaul can fix Andromeda’s animation issues.”
The YouTuber also points out that due to the Mass Effect series being put on hold, and the cutbacks that have been made to BioWare Montreal, likely mean that Andromeda will never see the overall work it needs to be finished.
It’s certainly a shame because the core gameplay still makes for an enjoyable experience, but the fact that the title looks so visually awkward has put a lot of potential players off picking up the game until the issues are fixed.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is available now for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
