Mass Effect: Andromeda APEX HQ
Mass Effect: Andromeda APEX HQ is the official companion app for the action-packed multiplayer mode of the game, which features an intriguing story. Players can manage their characters, equipment, and progress in the game through the app. However, be aware that the app and the game were released with several bugs that may affect gameplay.
Reviews
- The app allows for convenient management of strike teams while away from the game, making it easier to earn rewards.
- Despite being buggy, the app still functions as intended for sending out strike teams and tracking progress.
- The app is surprisingly stable for a companion app, providing useful features for players of Mass Effect Andromeda.
- The app frequently crashes and becomes unresponsive, requiring users to restart it often.
- Many users experience issues with logging in, including being stuck in a loop of selecting profiles without being able to proceed.
- The success rates for strike team missions seem inaccurate, with many players reporting failures despite high success percentages.
- story257 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally appreciated for its engaging narrative and character development, but many users express frustration with the app's functionality, particularly regarding the management of strike team missions. Players report frequent errors, sluggish performance, and a lack of integration with the main game, which detracts from the overall experience. While the app serves as a useful tool for managing missions on the go, it falls short in providing a seamless connection to the game's story elements.
“It's awesome when it comes to doing apex missions on my lunch break.”
“I love that I can still send my team on strike missions while I'm at work and still earn bonuses and rewards for completing them.”
“Love the way that you can play online by yourself in Mass Effect Andromeda or send a team via Apex app to do missions for you.”
“The only 'story related' thing you can do is to send strike teams into missions.”
“I'm sick of failing missions that I should be easily completing.”
“There is too much bugs with it: can't send my team on a missions (they say that my team is on a mission when they are not).”
- stability95 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The stability of the app is widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and unresponsiveness. Many describe it as "incredibly buggy," often mirroring the issues found in the main game, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. While some acknowledge improvements over time, the overall consensus is that the app remains a clunky and unreliable experience.
“The app runs great after opening it for the first time.”
“Aside from an infrequent display issue, which is easily fixable by restarting the application, it works great and runs smoothly.”
“No glitches on Galaxy S7 Edge.”
“App doesn't even work; it just keeps saying to fix my Xbox privacy settings. I did the steps for troubleshooting this multiple times and also tried contacting them through Twitter, but no one answers. Waste of time downloading the app.”
“Unresponsive, buggy, and not an improvement to N7 HQ despite the extra features.”
“This app hardly works, and when it does, it works like an AMC Eagle, meaning it just falls apart. It doesn't load/keep me logged in, it freezes constantly, strike teams half work and freeze, and it won't let me assign a nameplate. It's not counting my rewards correctly between the app and the game.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, users express significant frustration with the app's optimization, citing slow performance and a need for aggressive improvements despite some recent patches. While the concept is appreciated, many reviewers describe the execution as lacking, with several noting that performance issues detract from the overall experience. Some users report no crashes, but the consensus is that the app requires serious optimization to enhance usability.
“Performance was improved somewhat in the last patch.”
“I have experienced zero crashes or other performance problems.”
“The app, however, needs to be optimized.”
“This is a fantastic app let down by very slow performance.”
“But the execution and performance of this app is sloppy and inexcusable.”
“A good and useful app, but the performance is terrible.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are seen as having significant potential for improvement, with users noting issues such as poor textures, graphical glitches, and a lack of aesthetic appeal compared to previous companion apps. While some users appreciate the game's graphics, they express frustration with the app's performance and user interface, which detracts from the overall experience. The latest updates have exacerbated these issues, leading to a generally negative perception of the app's graphical quality.
“Huge potential for graphical enrichment.”
“Everything in the app works well, great graphics, only one issue sometimes it will show a strike team being in a mission when they aren't.”
“I love the actual game, amazing graphics, good storyline.”
“The app is a great companion to the game, but I think the game's graphics could be a lot better in terms of textures, skin, etc.”
“Most recent update ended up introducing graphical glitches and keeps logging me out.”
“Graphics look rubbish and staged.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it is effective for farming resources and achieving apex goals, it often feels tedious and time-consuming. The companion app enhances the experience by allowing players to manage tasks away from home, but the core gameplay remains repetitive and lacks excitement. Overall, grinding serves as a necessary but monotonous means to progress in the game.
“No interesting gameplay, just tedious multi-hour time-blocked taps.”
“Farming mission funds is a chore otherwise.”
“Means to an end for strike team farming.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some users finding it tedious and frustrating due to time-blocked taps and poor mechanics, while others appreciate the design and overall gameplay experience. Issues such as long button feedback delays and frequent logouts have also been highlighted, detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
“I like the design; I like the gameplay.”
“The companion apps for Assassin's Creed were much better in aesthetics and gameplay and were able to be used.”
“No interesting gameplay, just tedious multi-hour time-blocked taps.”
“This is a frustrating way to gather funds for items I wish I could earn through the multiplayer gameplay like in Mass Effect 3.”
“Button feedback can go up to 15 seconds, constant logouts, and I don't even want to start talking about the actual Apex missions mechanics.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the emotional impact of the app to be heartbreaking, leading some to uninstall it despite initial anticipation and recognition of its potential usefulness.
“Heartbreaking but uninstalling.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the app, suggesting that its lack of updates or improvement is a source of humor for the developers, implying that the situation is more laughable than enjoyable.
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users express dissatisfaction with EA's increasing reliance on microtransactions, viewing it as a negative trend in the gaming industry.
“I'm not a fan of EA's recent turn towards making microtransactions a popular thing in the gaming world.”
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which is frustrating for players who just want to enjoy the game.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a desire for enhanced musical elements in the game, specifically suggesting that incorporating music from the Mass Effect series would significantly elevate the experience.
“All this needs is sound; having Mass Effect music playing when you're on it would be amazing.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the soundtrack to be forgettable and not fitting for the game's atmosphere.”