Back in November 2020, Bioware made an announcement regarding both a new instalment in the Mass Effect universe and a remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy. Even though the next entry is likely a couple of years away, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is just around the corner. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s been improved, changed, and streamlined.
What’s in the Bundle?
Mass Effect Lenedary Edition includes all three base games, as well as all of the singleplayer DLCs, apart from Pinnacle Station. Mass Effect 3’s stellar multiplayer will, unfortunately, be excluded. All of the games have been remastered and optimized in 4k Ultra HD. Other quality of life improvements include ultrawide support, controller support for PC, and numerous visual improvements.
Mass Effect 1 – The Biggest Winner
The first instalment of the trilogy, naturally, recieved the most upgrades. The most obvious are the visual ones, such as lighting, depth of field, and over 30 thousand new textures. The game will also feature a new, universal character creator, as well as improved loading times. Thankfully, the elevator conversations have been adjusted, so you won’t miss out on Garrus’ and Tali’s banter.
Numerous gameplay improvements have also been made. Control inputs and aiming have been sharpened, and the shooting is much less RNG based. You’ll also have much more control over your squadmates, just like in ME2 and ME3. Another notable change is that every class will be able to use every weapon, and all weapons have had their recharge time reduced.
The Mako’s handling has also been improved, and it’ll no longer handle like a pregnant cow on rolerscates. It’ll be a lot heavier this time round, and, hopefully, handle as well as the Nomad from Andromeda. It’ll also get some fancy new thrusters as well as a quicker shield recharge time.
Mass Effect 2 and 3 – Sharpening the Edges
For the most part, the second and third instalments haven’t changed all that much. Most of the upgrades are visual, and gameplay changes are minimal.
A notable change for Mass Effect 2 is that the suicide mission will be easier. Specifically, the morality choices will be much less strict than those in the original game. Apart from that, ammo drops have been increased, specifically for snipers, and that’s about it.
The most notable change for Mass Effect 3 will be its controversial ending. Now, if you want a good ending, you’ll have to either play through the whole trilogy or complete every single activity in the third game. Additionally, the Extended Cut’s ending will now be the default ending. It’s not the best solution to the problem, but it’s far from being terrible.
Overall, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is shaping up to be a pretty great deal. It’s set to come out on May 14th, and it’ll set you back $60. A great purchase for both long lasting fans and newcomers to the franchise.