Ambiance and mood

I think the "lack of background music" is actually a bug, that it isn't starting correctly.. some games, the music is always there, in others it just never seems to play at all.   Every patch makes it either worse or better. Then worse again.

As for immersion.. I think that's really down to individuals, if you lack imagination, you won't get immersed.    I have no issues with running around in the game or driving around all the time, in fact, it's only when I start getting tired after maybe 10-12 hours of play that I even use the teleport system via map.

The Sam reminders have never bothered me, I just acknowledge them, sometimes even saying "thankyou sam" to the screen as he reminds me for the millioninth occasion that I can mine somewhere.. really those prompts should be changed, so when you enter a mineable area for the first time.. you get the notification and then never play thereafter.

But the conversation exchanges between passengers in the nomad or in the field during quiet moments, much of which is regarding your current plot situation are really immersive and when the music does play, it really does transport you into the world of mass effect.

I think it's sad that so many people are saying things like the game sucks, there's no story, no background.. when it simply isn't true, everything is there, you just need to wait for it or look for it.   Fact of life that people will hate a game, just because they're hateful people.  And that others will just lie, because they're liars.

People and editors etc have made a meal of ME:A out of fairly minor details, giving an unfair judgement on the game overall.   There's certainly issues in the game both in physical gameplay and in the mechanics, but overall, ME:A is an amazing and excellent game.  One which has me replaying it over and over, revisiting old areas, that sometimes feel like it's been years since I was last there, when in fact it was only a day or so before.

Although I do have issues with some lacking aspects of the games mechanics, I still give Mass Effect : Andromeda 11/10.  It will always be, one of my favourite games of all time, just like ME 1 & 2.  3 not so much.

I like the Draak/Jaal, Peebee/Cora and Peebee/Vetra and some of the Liam/Vetra or Liam/Cora conversations, esp the stuff where Vetra or Cora are usually shutting him down.

Some of the stuff they say during fights is out of context and it's quite funny just how real to life this actually is.   I've been in some quite bizarre situations in life to have someone make statements next to me that were totally out of context.. like one day fighting a wildfire in a field and my mate is prattling on about his new car.. and the problems he's having with cornering and pot holes..

If you want an irl situation where I guarantee you'll see this.. Doctors in Surgery.. talking about what the did at the weekend whilst they're operating on my knee.  Or Dentists talking about a movie.. some people say it's unprofessional.. but really it's just natural to witter.. youtube is full of witterers..

Then you get haters screaming abuse at the game because characters say out of context things.. well, people do to. irl.

Like in the first main "big" fight, when someone mentions floating rocks during the firefight, I could actually see this happening irl.  It'd probably be me.

Another thing is this complaint of general lack of immersion, compared to what? ME1? or 2? There was no real immersion in either game, you went, you killed, you left.. alot of ME:A is exactly the same.. turn up, kill everything, shoot some wildlife, scan a few things, maybe talk to some dying fellow, leave.. wait.. it's the same in EVERY game.. go, kill, leave.

Immersion is about becoming part of the game.. if you get so easily hung up on someone making spelling typos in the writing or context issues.. then likely, you'll never get immersed in a game, because you're always psychoanalysing everything.   Play the game. Ignore the silly little errors and have fun.  I just don't see the point in soapboxing.