The Mass Effect: Andromeda gameplay trailer revealed during The Game Awards was polarizing. The nearly-five-minute video showcased some very cool gameplay, and also Sara Ryder's face, which was not-quite-perfectly animated when seen up-close during a heated encounter with a Turian goon.
BioWare said in response to unhappy fans that Andromeda is still a work in progress, but concerns have persisted, as you can see in some of the responses to this tweet out of the official Mass Effect account.
"Drop it, now!""You first."https://t.co/McRrXSdXJX pic.twitter.com/FdJPhw4LjZJanuary 3, 2017
Clearly not everyone is put off by Ryder's expression, but there was enough negativity to spur BioWare GM Aaryn Flynn to respond yet again, and more forcefully in support of Andromeda's lead character. "Sara Ryder is awesome. Strong, funny, and adventurous," he tweeted. "Sorry there's a facial performance bug that lets her down here. We'll improve it."
Separately, Flynn said that the clip has taken on a disproportionate significance for Mass Effect fans.
@kevwright1 Heh it's become something of a lightning rod unfortunatelyJanuary 3, 2017
Maybe I'm just getting used to it after watching the clip dozens of times over, but the more I look at Ryder's face when she snags the Turian's gun (and this, by the way, is why you never put your gun within arm's reach of the person you're pointing it at), the more her expression strikes me as not so much "wrong" but simply the look of someone who's tired, exasperated, and sick of putting up with guffola from a second-rate flunkie. And isn't that exactly what it should be?
BioWare will reveal new Mass Effect: Andromeda gameplay (and maybe even a fixed face) tomorrow at CES. We'll let you know when it happens.
