Andromeda Ascending

No doubt players of Andromeda Awakening would know the bar was set very high. Andromeda Dreaming was by a different author and was short, but managed to capture the spirit of mixed wonder and helplessness as to why everything was coming apart. This is another derivative work by another author, but whereas Dreaming plays like Photopia, Ascending plays like Chicks Dig Jerks. The dialog, once again, is multiple-choice, and the story seems to be composed of two halves which are a bit sloppily joined together. The main character, who turns out to be a well-respected gang leader, also fits the CDJ mold.

As with the other derivative titles, there are multiple outcomes, which adds a little to the replay value. The game is mostly puzzle-less, save for one long maze which you may or may not have to navigate through, depending on the path you chose. The addition of this maze takes a lot away from the storyline and was entirely unnecessary. The story itself is a bit of a disappointment too. I was hoping since playing Awakening that I would have a chance to visit the old mechanostations and see what life was like there while they were still inhabited, but I had expected something different altogether. Instead, I had hoped to witness either the beginning or the end of civilization up there.

As with Tree And Star, play this game if you just can't get enough of the Andromeda saga. Just don't expect it to live up to the others.

This by all means wasn't a bad game. It was quite amusing, actually.

This just didn't have the same spirit as the games it's a prequel to.

The main character was fun, but the story felt rushed. The sequels are obviously mentioned, but they felt like they were too blatantly cited.

This is obviously supposed be how the first council was set up but a lot of details were missing.

(Spoiler - click to show)We follow some quirky teenager who's the head of gang who gets kidnapped and then finds a way back to her home station and ends up becoming leader of the planet. It just doesn't make sense.

It doesn't have any real themes either. Just get back home. That's your mission.

Also that maze was impossible without a walkthrough.

I feel so much more could've gone into this. I'm usually a fan of quirkier stories, but this one didn't impress me.

If it was just a standalone story, sure, but being a prequel to two obviously fantastic stories sets the bar pretty high. I unfortunately finished this game disappointed.