A Lucky Win:
I’ve entered daily competitions for years, winning everything from small prizes to a trip to Liverpool. This time, I won something different: a video game.
While browsing Allkeyshop — usually just for price comparisons — I stumbled across their daily Gleam competition. At first, I doubted it was legitimate, but then an email arrived saying I had won Mass Effect: Andromeda. Five days later, the key landed in my inbox, ready to redeem on Origin.
I’m not usually a sci-fi gamer, preferring fantasy worlds like The Witcher 3 or Dragon’s Dogma, and I hadn’t played the original Mass Effect trilogy. Still, I was curious to try this £39.99 title (at launch) and see what it had to offer.
Background:
- Developer: BioWare (Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age)
- Platforms: PC (Origin/Steam), PS4, Xbox One
- Release: 2017
- Modes: Single-player and multiplayer
- Story: A fresh start, not a continuation of Commander Shepard’s journey
Story & Setting:
You play as Ryder (male or female), a member of the Andromeda Initiative — a mission to find humanity a new home. When disaster strikes, Ryder becomes the Pathfinder, tasked with leading humanity and forging alliances.
The main threat comes from the Kett, a hostile alien faction. Alongside them are mysterious vaults containing technology that can terraform hostile planets. Choices throughout the game affect relationships, unlock side quests, and shape Ryder’s story.
The standout content is the loyalty missions — optional quests that deepen your crew’s backgrounds and unlock powerful abilities. Romances (including LGBTQ+ options) also add role-playing depth.
Gameplay:
Combat:
Fast-paced and fluid, blending shooting, abilities, and an automatic cover system. You can specialise in Combat, Biotics, or Tech. Biotics were my favourite — hurling enemies across the battlefield never got old.
Exploration:
Exploration is vast. You travel between planets on the Tempest and explore them by foot or using the Nomad rover. Planets start hostile, but by unlocking vaults and improving Viability Ratings, you make them more habitable.
Side Content:
- Loyalty missions (excellent, story-driven)
- Side quests (hit and miss)
- Vault puzzles (Sudoku-like)
- Crafting & research (useful but clunky and confusing)
The Tempest also serves as your hub for crafting, upgrading, and bonding with your crew.
Multiplayer:
A co-op horde-style mode for up to four players. You battle waves of enemies across several rounds with varied objectives.
You unlock characters, level up weapons, and buy supply drops. It’s fun, polished, and great for
achievements — though once I’d finished, I didn’t feel the urge to return.
Pros & Cons:
✅ Gorgeous graphics and weather effects
✅ Satisfying combat, especially with Biotics
✅ The Nomad makes exploration fun
✅ Loyalty missions are a highlight
✅ Large, colourful worlds to discover
✅ Wide range of skills and weapons
✅ Loads of content and side quests
❌ Slow, underwhelming opening
❌ Some tedious side missions
❌ Awkward character animations (even after patches)
❌ Crafting is overcomplicated
❌ Enemy variety is limited
❌ Occasional bugs and glitches
Verdict:
Mass Effect: Andromeda isn’t flawless, but it’s better than its reputation suggests. Once you push past the sluggish start, it delivers a content-rich sci-fi RPG with fast combat, beautiful exploration, and memorable loyalty missions.
Fans of the original trilogy may be disappointed that it doesn’t continue Shepard’s story. But for newcomers like me, it offers plenty of discovery and adventure.
For a game I won for free, it was an excellent prize — and even now at its lower price, it’s worth picking up for fans of open-world sci-fi.
⭐ Score: 7/10
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