Mass Effect is the latest classic game to get a remaster, and it’s probably one of few games that get to do this without many protests of a cash grab. And for that matter, no one will begrudge you calling it the Legendary Edition either, because the original trilogy has earned its legendary status.
For the uninitiated, Mass Effect was one of few role-playing games where your decisions mattered, and the ending of the game could be very different for different players. The effect compounds when players port over their decisions from previous games for the sequels – hence the title. While the trilogy ended on a bit of a damp squib, the Mass Effect series is still considered one of the best in the pantheon of great action RPGs.
Time for Shep to take on those annoying Husks again. Image: Bioware
The Legendary Edition packs the original trilogy and 40 DLC content – and all of the goodies in the form of weapons, armours, and so on – into one massive game. Apart from offering what is effectively the half-day Lord of the Rings trilogy marathon experience (but way longer), the visuals are now updated for our current 4K Ultra HD world.
Improvements include more detailed Shepard customisations; better hair, makeup, eye colour and skin tones, though Cyberpunk takes some beating with their take on overengineered character customisations . While the original aged well, the remaster has quality-of-life enhancements like better controls, smarter (less dumb) squad AI and improved camera angles.
Nothing screams epic quite like a Reaper with epic pixel count. Image: Bioware
Logically, the first Mass Effect should be the biggest beneficiary of these updates, but being able to play the full trilogy with one consistent art style and visual experience should be a real treat for fans and new players alike. Hopefully with less mining, please (If you know, you know).
Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be available May 14, 2021 on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC with “forward compatibility and targeted enhancements” for Xbox Series X and Playstation 5.
