No, apparently they just failed to meet the standards of the previous games. People complain about overtly melodramatic cutscenes, too much emphasis on the main character instead of the mission, etc. Very different from the semi-detached tone of its predecessors.

I thought it was going to be bad when it was announced, because it was Gearbox. I knew it was going to be bad the second I saw fleet command girl had hair. Unbound people have always been portrayed bald. It was cheap sex appeal, which said a lot to me about the expected quality of the story.

I haven't played it yet. I'll acquire it at some point.