Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is finally out, bringing players back to BioWare's popular action RPG that began in 2007. The Legendary Edition features remastered versions of the first three Mass Effect games, which have all become iconic games comprising one of BioWare's most important video game franchises.
While all three Mass Effect games have been revamped from graphics to gameplay, BioWare revealed that the first Mass Effect game would have the most changes. Based on the screenshots shown by BioWare before the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's release, it is apparent that most changes are noticeable while some are subtle. Here's a detailed comparison of the original Mass Effect vs. the Legendary Edition.
Original Mass Effect vs. Legendary Edition Visual Changes
Although all three games are still running in Unreal Engine 3, the Legendary Edition features better character models, textures, and lighting effects. These changes are most apparent on Mass Effect 1, and its assets in the remastered version now look similar to its successors. The Legendary Edition also supports 4K resolution, making environments detailed and alive, and characters are now more realistic than they did in the original game.
One of the most significant changes introduced in the remaster of Mass Effect 1 is the default appearance of female Shepard, which has now been replaced with her iconic look from Mass Effect 3. BioWare also carried over this change in Mass Effect 2, so the default female Shepard is now consistent across the entire Legendary Edition. Additionally, the UI of the game has been overhauled similar to what it looked like in Mass Effect 2 and 3.
Original Mass Effect vs. Legendary Edition Gameplay and Performance Enhancements
As far as gameplay is concerned, the most significant change introduced in the Legendary Edition has to do with Mako's controls. In the original Mass Effect, the Mako's controls were clunky, and the Legendary Edition introduced some quality of life improvements to make it more bearable to control. Additionally, a dedicated melee button is also included in the remaster of Mass Effect 1 and changes in the cover system.
Another welcome change in the Legendary Edition of the first Mass Effect game is autosave. In the original version, autosaves rarely happen, resulting in players feeling frustrated when going through a tricky part. Luckily for players, autosaves will frequently occur in the remaster. Furthermore, the Legendary Edition also features significant improvements to AI. Enemies are now more intelligent, and companions should follow instructions better.
Thanks to the vast improvement in today's gaming hardware, loading times are now faster than ever. In the original Mass Effect, long elevator rides were a staple in the series, as they were designed to hide loading screens. However, in the Legendary Edition, these elevator rides aren't as long as they used to be. But, for players who still want to listen in on characters' conversations, they can still choose to listen to the rest of the dialogue once the level loads or skip it altogether.
Original Mass Effect vs. Legendary Edition Story Changes
Given that the purpose of the remaster is to bring improvements to the graphics and gameplay of the originals, the story remains the same. Apart from the main story campaign of each of the games, the Legendary Edition also includes all released DLCs, so players will be able to play everything Mass Effect has to offer. However, it is worth noting that the Pinnacle Station DLC from Mass Effect 1 is not included in the Legendary Edition. As it turns out, the source code for this expansion was lost, and BioWare has no way to include it in the game unless the developers rebuild it from scratch. Unfortunately, BioWare didn't have the time or resources to do this, so the studio decided to cut it out of the remaster.
While the loss of the Pinnacle Station DLC may be disappointing to some, it is worth knowing that the Bring Down the Sky expansion is included in the remaster. Similar to the story, the romance mechanic of the first Mass Effect game remains unchanged. This means that the romance options in the remastered version of Mass Effect remain limited in terms of inclusivity, given that the only character that can be romanced by both male and female Shepard is the Asari researcher, Dr. Liara T'Soni.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.