With even Bioware developers openly discussing some of the failures of Mass Effect: Andromeda, it will not come as a surprise to many that the company may be returning to its roots, with reported plans of a remaster for its Sci-Fi series' original trilogy coming. A remaster, however, wouldn't just provide an opportunity to bring Mass Effect’s graphics into the next generation of gaming.

While it is unlikely that players will see major story revisions, there were many planned aspects of the original games cut for time or a lack of technical capacity. It may not go as far as a full-blown remake, but here’s some cut content that would be great to see make a return in the remastered Mass Effect trilogy.

RELATED: 5 Things From Andromeda We Want in Mass Effect 5 (& 5 We Don't) 

Mass Effect 1 Cut Content

Mass Effect’s first outing had almost half of the worlds the Normandy could visit cut before release, some of which could be restored for players to explore in a remastered edition. The planet side missions may not be the focus of the game for most players, but the codex entries for these cut worlds alone could be a great edition for any player invested in learning more about the Mass Effect lore.

Tali’s original visual appearance was also cut from the first game, when it was decided she would not reveal her face until later in the series. Tali's face reveal in Mass Effect 3 in a nightstand picture towards the end of the game was disappointing to many players, especially when the picture was revealed to be a lightly edited stock photo used under time pressure. The cut Mass Effect 1 concept, considered canon by the designer, could provide a more satisfying payoff to Tali's arc, her far more alien appearance highlighting the strength of the emotional connection players are able to develop with a character that they have never seen face-to-face.

A player could also originally save both Kaiden and Ashley during the Virmire mission if they played their cards right, though it is less likely this would be restored as it was not cut for time, but because some developers felt that removing the need to choose between the pair would potentially undermine one of Mass Effect 1's most memorable moments.

Mass Effect 2 Cut Content

mass effect trilogy remaster

In Mass Effect 2, the original plan was to have the Illusive Man provide Shepherd with every potential squad dossier at the start of the game, allowing them to complete these missions and recruit the main characters in any order. While it remains one of the best game sequels for PC, this feature was cut from the retail release due to the need for the Xbox version of the game to be split onto two separate discs, necessitating the late arrival of some characters.

A more open version of the trilogy like this would be another great opportunity for Bioware to allow the player to experience the story in a more personalized way without changing the broader arc of the narrative. If players could recruit Legion the Geth earlier on, for example, they would have the opportunity to spend far more time with the character, giving them more time to learn to sympathize with the character’s uniquely ego-less, hive-mind perspective, which would the choice to side with Legion or Tali later in the game more complex.

A confrontation between Mordin and Grunt was also cut, similar to the arguments between Legion and Tali, and Miranda and Jack. This conflict would almost certainly have related to Mordin’s role in the creation of the genophage that sterilized Grunt’s species and could have significantly expanded upon the relationship between the two, making Mordin’s sacrifice to end the genophage in Mass Effect 3, already one of the most memorable moments in Mass Effect, even more powerful.

Zaeed, the bounty hunter from The Price of Revenge DLC was also intended to be included in the original game, with the content that would go on to be included in the DLC being split between his dossier and loyalty mission. Similarly, the Lair of the Shadowbroker DLC was originally intended as Liara’s plot in the game, before being cut. Smaller editions like the Shadowbroker's cut codex entries, emails, and news stories could also return to the game, helping to flesh out some of the world-building in what is already considered one of the best RPGs ever made.

With the remaster releasing fully packaged, it is possible we will see the reintegration of some of these DLC subplots into the main story, making them feel more organic, and maybe even helping characters like Zaeed carry the same emotional weight as some of players' favorite Mass Effect squad members.

RELATED: Mass Effect 5's Best Bet is to Follow Mass Effect 2's Lead

Mass Effect 3 Cut Content

mass effect 3 shepard main

Mass Effect 3 would have originally seen Shepherd standing trial at the game’s opening. If restored, it could make the consequences of working with Cerberus in Mass Effect 2 feel more meaningful, and the escalating crisis as a Reaper attack interrupts the trial feel even more urgent and chaotic as the legal structures of the Systems Alliance are shown to begin to break down. It would also produce fun opportunities for snappy courtroom comebacks from a Renegade Shepherd, even if the series has removed the Paragon/Rengade binary from Mass Effect for its future installments.

Javik from the From Ashes DLC was originally a far more essential character in the third game and was supposed to be the only character who could communicate with the Prothean AI that reveals the true nature of The Citadel. As with Zaeed, players might see Bioware integrating Javik more into the story of the remaster without concerns that players who have not downloaded the add-ons would be missing out. Cerberus also had content cut from this part of the game, where it would have been hunting down Javik, making the consequences of helping them in the second game appear more dire.

A cut exchange has Ashley approach Shepherd after their reunion to ask a question that exposes a character thread running throughout the series: Ashley asks Shepherd what they saw when they died in the opening of the second game, in one of Mass Effect 2's most classic moments. No matter the player’s response, the options hint at the same bleak answer: nothing.

Cut moments like this may seem small, but could in fact have some of the biggest impact on a remastered version of the game. This example helps tie together Ashley’s character as someone constantly struggling to center her moral reality. Her fluctuating faith in Shepherd becomes a clearer parallel with her religious faith, and her difficulty trusting the player throughout the series becomes more tragic than aggravating. This addition could help redeem Ashley in the eyes of some players, who often put her lower down when ranking the Mass Effect companions, compared to more loyal fan-favorites like Liara, Garuss, and Tali.

Through this moment, Ashley comes to more fully represent a form of human faith that, in the Mass Effect universe, has fallen victim to information overload. This thematic focus has the potential to make some of the hardest decisions in Mass Effect even more poignant. Many other characters in Mass Effect 3 from Kelley to Cortez also saw lines cut which, if restored, could help give their arcs more weight and resolution in the trilogy’s final chapter.

These are just a few samplings of cut content, and there's likely far more throughout the Mass Effect trilogy. Planets, abilities, and small world-building moments would just add a whole new nuance to the series, even they were restored.

With EA already teasing its next-gen content, cut content provides Bioware with a great opportunity to expand upon the Mass Effect universe and its characters without fundamentally changing them, instead drawing its character arcs out to their most interesting and satisfying conclusions. Instead of changing the story, many of these cut moments provide Bioware with the chance to tell that same story, but to encourage a greater variety of player responses to that narrative and to provide returning players with a new perspective on the series they've grown to love.

The Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster is reportedly in development.

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