The revamped and enhanced Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is slated for release in May. Longtime fans of the classic BioWare series will be able to explore the galaxy in 4K, and enjoy a host of improvements to gameplay. The greatest enhancements are coming to the first Mass Effect, which leaned heavily into traditional RPG mechanics and has suffered from its age more than the other two games in the original trilogy. Details about the upcoming remasters have been trickling out ever since the bundle was announced, and now BioWare has provided a more in-depth exploration of some of the changes coming to the first game's combat and M-35 Mako vehicle.
The Legendary Edition isn't coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, but the games will be forward-compatible with the new hardware, since the new consoles can play PS4 and Xbox One games respectively. At this point the first Mass Effect is nearly 14 years old, initially releasing in November of 2007 for the Xbox 360. The franchise became beloved and helped bolster BioWare's continuing reputation as a studio that develops high-quality RPGs. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition has the potential to bring some goodwill back to BioWare after the failures of Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda.
To say the first Mass Effect needs some improvement is an understatement. Even on its initial release the combat and driving mechanics for the Mako were incredibly clunky. The game was plagued by odd controls and frustrating shooting mechanics. Luckily, the original will be receiving the most attention of all the Mass Effect games in the Legendary Edition in an attempt to bring it up to par with the second and third installments, as outlined in EA's Gameplay Calibrations blog post.
Changes Coming to Mass Effect's M-35 Mako
In an ambitious attempt to let players put boots (and wheels) on the ground in their exploration of the galaxy and its various alien races, the first Mass Effect featured the drivable, all-terrain M-35 Mako. While an incredibly cool piece of sci-fi equipment, the driving mechanics were anything but comfortable. The Mako bounced around like it was made of feathers, had obnoxiously long cooldown times for its jump jets, and aiming its canon was frequently a hassle. Thankfully, the Legendary Edition seeks to iron out some of the kinks from the original.
In order to improve handling in the Mako, more perceived weight has been added to it. This additional weight should keep the Mako from sliding around so much, and help with the vehicle feeling oddly bouncy. The improved control will also help when maneuvering at higher speeds thanks to newly added thrusters on the vehicle's rear. The thrusters will be on a cooldown separate from the Mako's jump jets, meaning both can be used simultaneously and separately.
BioWare seems to have made a handful of adjustments to aid combat in the Mako as well. An improved camera will resolve an accuracy issue when aiming the Mako's canon at low angles. The vehicle's defenses have also been beefed up with a faster recharge time on its shields, and coming into contact with lava on volcanic planets no longer results in an instant death. Instead, damage from lava will be taken incrementally now. Vehicular combat will also be more rewarding thanks to the odd XP penalty from the original Mass Effect's Mako being removed.
Combat Tuning in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
The combat of the first Mass Effect is an outlier in the series. The strong RPG influence made it difficult to use any weapon that a character was not specialized for, and weapons operating on a cooldown system rather than traditional ammo. The controls were quite frustrating as well. For instance, the grenade button was mapped to the Select button in the original 360 version of the game. With the Legendary Edition, BioWare is attempting to remove a lot of these quirks from the combat of the first game and bring it more in line with that of the second and third entries, including some rebalanced boss fights.
Weapons have been significantly overhauled in the Legendary Edition version of the first Mass Effect. For starters, every weapon type is now available to all classes without penalty, though class-specific weapon specializations still remain. The handling for all guns has been made far less frustrating as well. Major improvements have been made to weapon accuracy, meaning the reticle will no longer bloom out of control after just a few assault rifle shots, and Shepard no longer aims a sniper rifle like they're hot off a bender at the Afterlife Club. Additionally, the camera view while aiming down sights and the overall aim assist have been improved. All weapons also cool down much faster, meaning players won't have to hide in cover for very long before their guns are ready to be fired again.
Some quality of life improvements have been made to the combat systems as well. Squad mates are able to be commanded independently from one another, similar to how they operate in the sequels. A dedicated melee button has been added, whereas before it was an automatic action if an enemy came into Shepard's reach. Shepard can now sprint while not engaged in combat. Previously, Shepard would only accelerate to a jog while disengaged. Head shots will make more of an impact in the Legendary Edition, since a strange feature of the original where some humanoid heads didn't take additional damage has been rectified. Weapon powers have also been given a buff across the board, with their effectiveness and strength being increased.
One consequence of the focus on RPG mechanics resulted in lackluster inventory management and item handling in general. The first game has far more items – especially weapons and armor – than its successors. Items in Shepard's inventory can now be flagged as Junk, making it easier to sell useless items in bulk or convert them to Omni-gel. Additionally, Mede-gel usage has also been tweaked with faster cooldowns (including Liara's cool down bonus) and greater benefits from leveling up associated skills. Ammo mods are now available throughout the entirety of the game, whereas before they stopped dropping at higher levels. Merchants will also carry purchasable ammo mods.
Players will have to wait and see if the Mass Effect remasters can actually deliver the definitive experience for the acclaimed RPG trilogy, but the news so far has been promising, especially the changes coming to the first game. After the disappointment of Andromeda, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition might be the jumpstart the series needs to return to its former glory, especially since a sequel to the original trilogy is on the way.
Source: Electronic Arts