The Mass Effect trilogy is an experience that I can confidently say has taken the majority of the gaming community’s hearts and is one of the most Iconic series in all of gaming history. No other series has challenged players the way this trilogy has by the choices players are forced to make, and the outcomes that are dealt. Players have wanted more from Bioware and EA regarding Mass Effect but unfortunately were given Andromeda, which failed greatly and arguably destroyed the studio. However, this year the gaming community was gifted a full remastered version of the whole trilogy including all DLC.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition was a near-perfect remaster that gave players a chance to relive their most mentally challenging gaming experiences in a new visually stunning experience. This also serves as a perfect opportunity for new players to jump into the series from the beginning without the worry of the games not aging well. Players can buy this masterpiece for $59.99 for all new generation platforms and the previous generation platforms, aside from the Nintendo Switch.
The Legendary Edition brings a lot of well-needed changes and balancing to the series, especially in the first game. While keeping the same engine, every game got rebuilt graphically with huge performance changes. Depending on the platform, load times are near non-existent and new generation consoles will play the trilogy in full 4k at 60 FPS. Legendary mode was also added for the first Mass Effect, changing the level cap to 30 and removing the need for New Game Plus if players so choose. Elevator scenes are now skippable for those who want a shorter ride and get tired of the unending talking each time they use them. Players even get to experience more fun with Photo Mode in each game, adding fun for players to share their captures to Twitter or their respective consoles.
The best changes were felt in the first game considering it did not age well at all, and if I am being honest it just performed horribly in the past. Now players are spoiled by what could be called a remake for this entry. Some of the best changes are the fact that players can now sprint in the first game, and the changes made to the Mako. Rather than being furious at the horrible controls and penalties, now Makos are way less bouncy, have no XP penalties, and even get a boost button. All cooldown times were reduced, and the HUD is more visible and resembles Mass Effect 3. Weapon efficiency and handling have been fine-tuned, and to put the cherry on top, players can now sprint into cover. Mass Effect felt like a brand new game entirely and was extremely enjoyable to play.
I found this remaster to be phenomenal, not only for the drop-dead gorgeous graphical overhaul but also for the performance enhances and changes to make the trilogy experience ten times better for players. The first Mass Effect no longer feels like a chore to get out of the way for new players that hear about it from their friends, and there is no need for the Genesis Comics to answer all of the questions and avoid the game entirely. Instead, players can now look forward to playing the first game in its entirety.
I even went so far as to platinum the game, and I loved every second of it. I also love the changes made towards the morality system. Playing through Mass Effect originally could become extremely stressful due to the choices players were forced to make that affected not only the outcome of the game being played but also every game that may have followed. This was largely due to the fact that players were forced to make decisions that followed renegade or paragon, and in picking one you were forced to say in line with one side because other options would be barred from you not having enough points. For example, if a player picked more renegade options, this would prevent players from picking paragon options in arguments they might feel where renegade is the wrong way to go. This could lead to severe cases, such as committing mass genocide on an entire alien race (traumatizing flashbacks incoming). Now players are less punished due to the changes made in the Legendary Edition, and it is easier to make the choices we want with less penalty and nail-biting.
My only complaints fall with some performance issues, but they are not game-breaking at all. This remaster is annoyingly filled with bugs and glitches, which are most noticeable in the first game compared to the other two. I found myself often stuck and need to move one of my teammates or hopping back into the Mako. Sometimes it would be bad enough to where I had to reload the save, leaving me to save fairly often. Dead Geth would occasionally glitch after being killed as well, but that did not impede my progress through the game and was more comical. There have also been a few random frame rate drops here and there mostly after loading. Outside of that my only other complaint is the lack of multiplayer in 3. What on earth was Bioware thinking? Mass Effect 3 multiplayer was a hell of a lot of fun!
I have to say that revisiting this trilogy is an incredible experience, and being a part of this space-tastic 2007 drama was nothing short of awesome. I loved filling the shoes of Commander Shepard and finding my one and only space romance with my ride-or-die Garrus. Being able to sit on some choices that I had made years ago was refreshing and stressful all at the same time. I highly recommend that previous and new players pick this up because it feels like a whole new experience for everyone. While there are some minor issues to be addressed, this remaster was so close to perfect that I can’t get enough of reliving some of my darkest times.
DVS Score: 9/10
Veteran gamer, tech nerd, comic addict, anime lover, and just your average introverted weeb.
Never played a Mass Effect game before so been really enjoying checking out the Legendary edition and experiencing the games for the first time. As remasters go I think they’ve done an awesome job with it,
Never played a Mass Effect game before so been really enjoying checking out the Legendary edition and experiencing the games for the first time. As remasters go I think they’ve done an awesome job with it,