Mass Effect Legendary Edition
The definitive bundle of BioWare’s beloved space trilogy
Remasters have become a regular fixture on the videogame release calendar, a remedy to a shortage the industry has created itself by letting purchase options and hardware go obsolete. Especially on consoles, we’ve come to expect an eventual resurrection of popular games. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as remasters like this one can bring new and old fans together.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a bundle of all main games and DLC that exemplifies the pros and cons of the remastering practice quite well – changes have been applied sparingly, altering very little in the overall look of the game, but upon closer inspection, it’s not only the framerate and resolution upgrades that impress, but also the new character models and light refractions.
CHANGES AHEAD
The first Mass Effect, originally released in 2007, receives the most notable do-over. Here, the new character models have the most impact, now devoid of hard shadows. Additional particle effects in the environment, like falling embers and smoke, add a lot to the atmosphere, yet the overall look is still dated, not least due to the games still being based on Unreal Engine 3. Characters’ lips don’t sync with dialogue, and all human character models, including your own customisable Shepard, retain their unsettling bug-eyed look, stiff hairdos, and equally stiff animations.
The changes made to background vistas and views of the horizon are most notable in the first Mass Effect because everything appears brighter and smoother almost to the point of seeming sterile, drawing undue attention to the fact that in the Mass Effect universe, many surfaces are either white and shiny or the grey and brown of barely textured rock. The Legendary Edition looks bright
All human character models retain their unsettling bugeyed look and stiff hairdos.
where things should be dark and moody (for example, the first game’s Horizon colony) and sharp when the softness of the original looks better (like in the attack on the Normandy at the beginning of Mass Effect 2). Overall, however, the devs knew where to leave well enough alone, and all three games have aged well enough to look good even after what may seem like small changes.
The first Mass Effect also receives a few additional updates, most of which remedy its stubborn controls. The weapon control scheme during battle has been brought in line with the other two games, and the Mako – hate on wheels for many a player – now has weightier physics, a boost, and better shields, among other changes that improve the overall handling. Additionally, where characters had 60 levels before, the Legendary edition now offers faster levelling, and has unlocked every weapon type for every team member. This reduces the overall difficulty quite a bit, which can make it too easy an affair for players of the original, but since your team still vanishes or haplessly shoots barriers and covers, the changes level out. Somewhat.
Of course, all these alterations may not really matter if you don’t know what Mass Effect is about. As Commander Shepard, the customisable male or female protagonist of the series, you’re uncovering and dealing with an enemy which threatens the whole galaxy, home to humans and several other alien races that have learned to live with each other in relative peace. In this universe, humanity has discovered plenty of new planets with the help of the so-called mass relays, which enable interstellar high-speed travel.
Those different worlds, as well as their inhabitants, are a large part of the series’ appeal. The alliance between alien races is often precariously held together by politicking, but as a soldier you are a man or woman of action, taking your ship out to the stars to help people in need and to recruit allies to your cause. You can form deep bonds with the many characters who become part of your team, thanks to excellent writing and voice acting. More than one character may potentially warm Shepard’s bed over the course of the trilogy, making building relationships as exciting as the gunfights, if not more so.
A MASSIVE LEGEND
Talking about the games in hindsight is an odd experience, because due to its packaged form, the Legendary Edition makes it easier to remember and assess changes between games. The trilogy was always meant to be enjoyed as a complete experience (your Shepard and narrative choices can be carried through each game), but even though all three games are similar in style and design, BioWare did try to address criticism from game to game. Weapons gained an ammunition system. Levels gained more verticality. Cover mechanics improved. Team member AI was improved. Levelling and planet scanning systems were overhauled (not always for the better). But the
Mass Effect makes building relationships as exciting as its gunfights, if not more so.
core of the Mass Effect experience doesn’t lie in its cover shooting combat, even as that gets more exciting as the stakes of the story rise.
Now that there’s no wait between instalments, it’s easier to see how the trilogy was planned as one big story. In each game you make decisions big and small that can have consequences down the line, potentially affecting entire populations. These choices, and how they push you towards either being a ‘Renegade’ with a bad attitude or a friendly ‘Paragon’, may seem simplistic, but that doesn’t make them any less difficult. Should a friend live or die? Should one alien race gain power over another? You can’t be quite sure what your decisions will affect, and you may not find out until a future game, a feat that wouldn’t be possible without consistently engaging writing.
Today, Mass Effect is ever-present, not only in the discussion surrounding its ending, which effectively served as a precedent for players trying to take ownership of a series by demanding changes, but also because of how it made your relationship with its characters an essential part of the experience. Discussions about who the ‘best’ squad mate is are neverending, and people have played the games again and again to enjoy every romance possible. Mass Effect’s legacy on dialogue systems can be felt in many games. It is quite simply a great space opera, equal parts cheesy and exciting, with a scope and charm that isn’t easily replicated.
No fan of Star-Trek-style science fiction should miss Mass Effect – and this package offers the best version of the trilogy currently available.