A new trailer for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition released today, giving fans a look at the visual improvements that have been made to the beloved trilogy. The brief trailer shows off side-by-side comparisons with the original games, including an in-depth look at characters, lighting, and environment effects.
The visual upgrades are one of several improvements that have been to the remastered Mass Effect trilogy. Last week, BioWare revealed that the remaster will include changes to gameplay mechanics, as well as Mass Effect 3’s war assets system. But any remaster is only as good as its graphical upgrades, and judging from what was shown in today’s trailer, it looks like BioWare has delivered.
The trailer showcases various stills and shots from across the trilogy, each highlighting how the graphical upgrades have vastly improved character models and environments. The upgrades include improved particle effects, improved skin rendering, enhanced textures, and more detailed 3D models. Overall, the differences between Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and the original trilogy are stark, and the improvements will undoubtedly make the universe of Mass Effect more immersive.
While the improvements have certainly made environments more realistic, it is the characters that have benefited the most from the upgrades. The skin and texture enhancements bring the characters to life, especially Shepard’s alien companions. Thane’s scales especially standout, and the details on Garrus’s scarred face make him look even cooler than how he looked in the original trilogy. It is fitting that the characters have received the best upgrades, as Mass Effect is perhaps best known for its cast of alien and human companions.
In a blog post released alongside the trailer, BioWare explained their thought process behind the visual improvements. According to the blog, BioWare built upon the base character assets that were used in the original trilogy, and used modern technology to improve skin, hair, and eye shade. There are also subtle improvements, such as how the BioWare team made small changes to characters that appear in all three games to give the impression that they are aging as the trilogy progresses.
BioWare previously said that its main goal with Mass Effect: Legacy Edition was to improve upon the original trilogy while preserving what made it so great. The comparison trailer is proof of the mentality, as all the characters and environments that were shown still have the same feel and color scheme that was present in the original trilogy. Fans won’t have to wait long to judge for themselves, as Mass Effect: Legacy Edition recently went gold.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will release on May 14 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.