Probably the most anticipated trailer to appear at last night's Game Awards would be the one for Mass Effect: Andromeda. It showed off combat, character interaction, resource collection and crafting, and the Nomad vehicle, revealing far more of the game than anything we've seen previously. But it also left some viewers a little put off by the not-quite-perfect facial animations and lip-sync.
I didn't notice it when the video first ran, but watching it again I have to agree that Ryder's face is a little bit mushy during her conversation with the seedy port boss. In response to questions from fans, BioWare's Aaryn Flynn and Mac Walters issued assurances that Andromeda is still a work in progress.
@FC_paragon We'll be polishing the game until they take it from our cold, dead hands.December 2, 2016
@ColSolus_616 Gets worked on all the way to the end. But remember, those faces are customizable, not just actor scansDecember 2, 2016
Mass Effect: Andromeda producer Michael Gamble added that BioWare will continue to work on the game "until someone comes and rips it from us. Because we <3 you."
It's understandable that people might expect perfection, or something awfully close to it, in a trailer as big and sweeping as this one. But Mass Effect: Andromeda doesn't even have a release date yet, just a vague window of spring 2017, so there's still time for improvements. It also bears noting that the performance capture we're becoming used to is tough to match in a game where you can customize the faces. Still, more of that polish they speak of would be very welcome.
Thanks, Kotaku.
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