Sometimes I wonder how these people even played games before 2015. The animations aren't top of the industry quality, make no mistake about that, but outside of a few outliers it's really not that bad. You know, I still hear people say that Dragon age: Origins was a good game, and the animations are better than that. In fact I'd say they're at par with most games pre- Witcher 3, outside of pre-rendered instances.
Overall, I came away with a largely positive impressions of the game. There are definite flaws with the game, though. Or at least things I don't like about it. I'm definitely not a fan of the auto cover system. I think it largely hurts the combat, and makes running through MP maps a nightmare, so you pretty much have to just use the jetpack and dodging for everything. I had lockup on MP a few times, and once the sound completely cut out.
In spite of that negative stuff though, I think the game has a lot of what I loved about the OG Mass Effect. It inspires a real sense of wonder and exploration in a new galaxy, and all the cast being new makes it a little more interesting to go through those convos and try and get to know them. So far, I like all the cast I've come across, and I look forward to getting to know them better.
It all comes down to where your priorities are in games, I think. Do you value facial animations over things like, combat, gameplay, art direction, and writing? If so, I will go ahead and assume this isn't the game for you. Could you, or do you still, enjoy rpgs that aren't The Witcher 3? If the answer is yes, I don't think you have much to worry about. I mean, really, think about some of the most highly regarded RPGS of the last 10 years or so. DAO, Skyrim, Oblivion, Legend of Zelda, etc. This game has better animations and graphical fidelity than all of those games. Yes, I've seen the comparisons to Mass Effect. Those games were better than the other games I listed too. It's sad to see the animations have regressed, but I don't think that inherently make the game terrible, or invalidates the good this game does in other areas. I've seen a few people point out how the bad animations might take them out of the immersion, but then I have to wonder if they were ever able to enjoy an RPG pre 2015. This isn't to say that the animations are great, but I think some people just need to take a breath and re-evaluate why they play games in the first place if a few strange looks are really giving them fits this bad.
