If you've wondered what all the (somewhat negative) fuss over Mass Effect: Andromeda was all about, but don't fancy dishing out for the game itself, you can now have a play with the 10 hour trial of the game, as it's available on all platforms - PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Originally released back in March as an early-access trial, Andromeda's big demo should have been a return to classic gaming marketing of yore, where gamers got a chance to try out the new big games before committing. It may not have actually done the game much good though, as it gave early adopters a look at how weird the facial animations in the game were and how buggy some of its gameplay was.
However, this wider release of the demo may do the game more favors than it did when originally debuted. Andromeda has received a number of fixes since its early release, including tightening up animations and though the game isn't getting much DLC, there's still a good sci-fi romp in their for those willing to look for it. Giving naysayers and those on the fence a chance to get invested in the story with a few hours of gameplay is a good way to bring them back into the fold (thanks PCG).
Fight for a new home in a dangerous galaxy. The Mass Effect: Andromeda Trial is now available on all platforms! pic.twitter.com/t4r2kvyenc
— Mass Effect (@masseffect) July 13, 2017
We're not going to pretend Andromeda is a great game though. It still suffers from a number of issues, most seemingly caused by a lack of experience in the team that crafted it. Bioware shifted its longstanding professionals to the new Dragon Age before Andromeda was half-way finished, so it's perhaps no surprise that it ended up as the least well-received game in the series - that is if you discount ME3's ending.