The Mass Effect series is still lauded to this day as one of the greatest action RPG trilogies of all time, and it's easy to see why this is the case. That being said, there's no denying the fact that the games have certainly aged quite a bit — something that Mass Effect: Legendary Edition remedies in an extraordinary fashion. Everything from the graphics to the gameplay has been polished up quite a bit to modernize the experience, allowing a new generation of gamers to enjoy the brilliance of this timeless journey.
It's clear that BioWare had a ton of fun working on both the original titles and the remasters, given the fact that there are many choice secrets scattered throughout the experience — some of which can be quite beneficial to the player during their playthrough of all the three games in the series.
Updated on December 22, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Mass Effect and Dragon Age are two of the most popular IPs by BioWare that helped them reach and secure their spot as a beloved AAA RPG developer.
Their reputation might've taken some tolls with their latest games, but it's clear that the studio is still full to the brim with talent and can develop some amazing games, especially if they channel the same energy that was implemented in the development of the Mass Effect trilogy. Here are some secrets across the three games that many fans are yet to find in Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
15 The Inclusion Of The Mars Rover
Mass Effect takes place in the distant future where intergalactic travel and alien lifeforms have become commonplace. However, the game doesn't away from paying its dues to the real-life advancements taken in space travel.
This can be seen in a simple yet clever nod at the start of the mission on Mars in Mass Effect 3. Players need to follow a specific route through the solar panels to spawn the Mars Rover — an easter egg that many people didn't even discover until the Legendary Edition came out!
14 A Familiar City Present In The Third Game's Introduction
Mass Effect 3's introduction is a pretty memorable one that shows the horrors of war firsthand. Keen-eyed players would've noticed that this area is actually reminiscent of a real-life city!
Given that BioWare's offices are in Canada, it's easy to see why they used Vancouver's skyline as the backdrop for this emotional moment in Mass Effect 3. It's a tough secret to spot but players familiar with the city will easily recognize the many identifiable buildings in this area.
13 A Companion's Origins Stemming From A Cult Horror Film
Ashley Williams is a pretty fun companion that players can romance in Mass Effect. She might be somewhat bigoted early on, but players who decided to warm up to her reveal a softer side that explains why she is uneasy around alien lifeforms.
Most people would also realize that her name is similar to the protagonist of the Evil Dead franchise, Ash Williams. If that isn't enough of a reference, then there's a point in the Virmire mission where Ashley actually calls her shotgun her broomstick, which is exactly what the Evil Dead protagonist called her weapon too!
12 A Small Detail Revealing That The Normandy SR-2 Was Bugged
Mass Effect 2 has several memorable interactions with its party members, including the legendary Mordin Solus. During one such eccentric conversation, Solus remarks that the cyanide capsules used by Cerberus operatives were pretty inefficient, and that ocular nerve flashbangs would be more efficient.
Fast forward to Mass Effect 3, and there's actually an audio record of a Cerberus agent talking about how they've started using ocular nerve flashbangs to incapacitate themselves if they're captured! Either Mordin brought this suggestion to the higher-ups... or the Normandy SR-2 was bugged from the get-go.
11 The Tragic Romance Of Charr And Ereba
Players interact with an Asari called Ereba in Mass Effect 2, where they can give her some advice to stick with her Krogan partner, Charr, or split ways. If the former is suggested, then the two are spotted in Tuchanka trying to make their relationship work.
However, during the mission to assault the Rachni cave in Mass Effect 3, players can actually find the body of Charr with a piece of poetry dedicated to Ereba. This can be brought to the Asari, who tearfully thanks Shepard for giving her one final moment with her beloved.
10 Liara's Doctorate Degree
Liara T'Soni is easily one of the fan favorites in the Mass Effect series, with her calm and collected personality allowing her to tackle most intense situations without getting panicked. Such is to be expected from a person with a valuable and hard-earned doctorate degree, after all.
Players who are genuinely curious about Liara's educational qualifications can satisfy their inquisitiveness by using the new Photo Mode in the Legendary Edition to sneak a peek at her doctorate details, hung proudly near her desk in the first Mass Effect.
9 A Cheeky Calibration Joke In The Settings Menu
Speaking of Shepard's squadmates, one can't fail to mention the enigma that is Garrus Valkarian — a beloved character from the Mass Effect trilogy whose silver tongue has helped pave the way for some of the most iconic quotes in the series.
One thing that people will notice about Garrus is the fact that he's a fan of calibrating things all the time — something that is referenced in the Settings menu itself, where the Display tab has been replaced by Calibration.
It's a cheeky — and welcome — nod to a character everyone's fond of.
8 A Man Dedicated To Getting A Refund
A long-running joke in the Mass Effect trilogy that most people might not have noticed is a man whose incessant about getting a refund for his toaster oven... to the point where he hounds the salesman for three games!
The man hounds the Turian shopkeeper over the course of the first two games, before finally giving in to these demands. The sheer level of shock in the man's voice after receiving the 15 credits that he's due is quite hilarious indeed.
7 EDI's Hilarious Response To Probing Uranus
Speaking of funny moments in the Mass Effect series, one can't help but bring up the side-splitting lines uttered by EDI every time Shepard sends probes to Uranus in Mass Effect 2. Any person would understand why this situation is so hilarious.
Instead of her usual lines, EDI will utter the condescending line "Really, Commander?" when tasked to probe Uranus for the first time. Prompting her to do the same a second time will yield the line "Probing Uranus..." before her voice lines end up reverting to the default ones. It's a moment that can take fans by surprise due to the excellent and unexpected timing of these hilarious responses.
6 The Legendary Shifty Looking Cow
In the first Mass Effect, Shepard can find a herd of space cows near a gold deposit on the planet Ontarom, present in the Newton system. Along with this herd, there's a rather peculiar cow called the Shifty Looking Cow by the game, with a talk prompt that does nothing. Killing the cow is also fruitless — it just respawns after a few seconds.
However, this unique cow ends up following the player and even steals Shepard's credits if the player turns their back to it. It's a rather odd yet funny secret present in the first game that will leave most players bemused by these happenings.
5 The Resilient Space Hamster
Along with this rather conspicuous cow, there's also a space hamster that players can buy in Mass Effect 2, who will be placed in Shepard's cabin upon purchase. This space hamster gets lost after the Alliance tweaks the interiors of the Normandy-SR2, but he can be found near the area of the ship that Jack used to skulk around in Mass Effect 3.
The hamster's journey doesn't end here, though — Shepard's clone ends up throwing this hamster during the events of the Citadel DLC as well, which prompts Shephard to say "Go for the eyes!" — a reference to the character Minsc in Baldur's Gate, who says the same line to his 'miniature giant space hamster' during combat time and time again.
Thankfully, the hamster survives this close encounter, definitely eliciting a sigh of relief from player's who'd formed a close bond with this virtual rodent.
4 Legion's Hilarious Robot Dance
Legion is easily one of the most mysterious and no-nonsense squadmates one can have in Mass Effect, which is precisely why his Robot Dance feels all the more out-of-place yet hysterically funny as a result.
This generally happens when Legion is left idle for too long, whether in the quarters of the Normandy or during a mission. Players who are patient enough will witness the Geth doing the dance of his people in full swing.
3 Certain Squadmates Can Reappear As Enemies
Mass Effect's choices and consequences are not to be taken lightly, with some of the squad's deaths and departures coming back to haunt the player during future missions — namely, Jack, Morinth, and Legion.
During the final battle for Earth, both Jack and Morinth can come back as enemies — Jack being a Cerberus Phantom and Morinth appearing as a Banshee. Meanwhile, if Legion is handed over to Cerberus after the mission on the Derelict Reaper, then he will come back as the enemy "Legion Assassin".
2 The Inspiration For Shepard's Face
A fact about the design for Male Shepard that most people might not be aware of is the fact that the structure of his face was actually based on a Dutch model by the name of Mark Vanderloo.
Seeing this face — along with many other characters across Mass Effect — is going to be even more of a treat in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, given the higher fidelity of the textures and character models in this game.
1 The Prothean Ruin On Elatania
While a ton of work has gone into making the original Mass Effect feel as modern and fresh as possible in the Legendary Edition, one can't deny the fact that there's one missed opportunity where the remaster could've put in some additional work — namely, the vision that Shepard gets after touching the Prothean Ruin on the planet Elatania.
The ensuing barrage of text that following details out an interesting vision, but the rather cheap manner in which it's portrayed can take away from what could've been a memorable secret in Mass Effect. The Legendary Edition does nothing to bring this vision to life, which is quite a shame indeed.