Fans have been begging BioWare for a remaster of the Mass Effect trilogy for years; pretty much since Mass Effect 3 came out in 2007. The company recently announced Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, a remaster of the three classic science fiction epics. The title is set for a May 14th release date.
Thanks to a recent cover story from Game Informer, we now know many changes and adjustments coming to the package. While many of these are exciting, some of the tweaks may give fans pause. For the most part, purists who prefer an experience as close to the original release as possible might not be too enthused with many of the changes coming to the debut entry.
10 Unsure: Weapons Restrictions And Aiming Penalties Based On Class In ME1
This one is mostly a good thing, because the first Mass Effect is far from the most beloved entry in the gameplay department. However, a small portion of the fanbase might feel removing class-based weapons restrictions and aiming penalties completely changes the way the game feels. It is meant to make the first game conform to the rest of the trilogy, but maybe it risks fundamentally altering the game's identity.
9 Exciting: The Mako
The Mako was easily the worst part of the original Mass Effect. It is the one part of the game that just feels downright tedious. To help make these sequences more enjoyable, BioWare is significantly tweaking and tightening the controls and physics of the vehicle segment.
This will hopefully remove some of the unintentional hilarity and frustration that came with driving the Mako, which could sometimes spin out of control and fly in seemingly random directions.
8 Unsure: Graphics
This remaster is not simply updating the textures and making things look smoother. The debut entry in particular is receiving a significant facelift. Looking at side by side comparisons, the new version looks like a different game. While it undoubtedly looks better, some purists might feel let down. The level design is staying exactly the same, however, so avid fans' muscle memory should still stay intact.
7 Exciting: Character Creator
Throughout the three games, the character creator was improved and changed in varying ways. Those who played the trilogy from the beginning found their character looking slightly different as the games went on. Since Legendary Edition is bringing all three games into one package, the character creator will remain uniform throughout the trilogy. There will be significantly more options than even what was in Mass Effect 3.
6 Unsure: No Multiplayer In Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3 had a multiplayer mode which was essential to obtaining the maximum galactic readiness. Not only is multiplayer not required for the new game, but it is not a part of the package. The developer has their reasons behind it, but fortunately those who really want to play it can still pop in the original version of Mass Effect 3 to enjoy some cooperative Mass Effect madness. Some did not like how it was essentially mandatory in the original release.
5 Excited: 4K Resolution At 60 FPS
The newer hardware now has the ability to render the graphics at 4K resolution and running at 60 frames per second. This generation, more and more games are running at this smooth frame rate, and the difference is staggering. Playing Demon's Souls on PS5 at 30 FPS versus 60 reveals the advantages of a better performance. Given the fast-paced combat of Mass Effect, playing it at 60 frames per second will be a revelation.
4 Unsure: Missing Pinnacle Station DLC
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition comes packed in with almost all the DLC from the trilogy. We say almost because the Pinnacle Station story from the first game is absent.
The source code is corrupted, which is also why it is excluded from the PS3 release. Fortunately, this particular expansion is considered one of the weaker DLCs of the series. All the other expansions are here, which is fortunate, because Mass Effect contains some of the best DLC stories of any RPG.
3 Exciting: Load Times
Mass Effect had some particularly infamous elevator rides which were used to disguise load times. Mass Effect is hardly the only offender in this department, but it did not stop these from becoming memetic. Because the newer hardware significantly cuts down on load times, these elevator rides are now much shorter. The dialogue and story events during these sequences will still play out, but the overall rides won't be slogs.
2 Unsure: Different Hud
The worries some have about this change go hand in hand with the changes to graphics and removal of class restrictions. The hud will go through a makeover in the debut entry in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. The UI was not the easiest to read in the 2007 title, but changing it does not necessarily mean it will be better. We'll only know on May 14th if the changes are actually for the better and do not change the basic experience too heavily.
1 Exciting: Camera Changes
This is an overall good change, but it makes the list for how it upset some fans. Several shots showcasing Miranda's backside are changing from Mass Effect 2. To be clear, the actual model is not undergoing any design differences. Certain serious scenes from the second game use these angles, and the team at BioWare decided to change it. Of course, some are crying censorship. It is honestly pretty funny to see some people get so upset over something so minor.