New and returning players alike have been taking the Normandy SR-2 across the Milky Way in Mass Effect 2 since the Legendary Edition launched. The original Mass Effect released in 2007, originally exclusive to the Xbox 360. All three games were later available on the PS3 and PC, but now the Legendary Edition has remastered the science fiction epic for the PS4 and Xbox One generation.
When updating the entire trilogy, BioWare's main focus was the first Mass Effect, but the entire trilogy has benefitted greatly from the improvements. Mass Effect 2 was a huge step up from its predecessor even upon its initial release. It and the third Mass Effect still held up relatively well, but the gameplay tweaks and visual improvements in the Legendary Edition are much appreciated.
The majority of the work done to Mass Effect 2 for the Legendary Edition was focused on improving the visuals in a myriad of ways. There are a few important gameplay changes as well, and the entire trilogy was unified in a number of aspects. Overall, the changes to Mass Effect 2 aren't incredibly significant. The game still played respectably and looked decent before the Legendary Edition came out, but the work on visual effects especially has helped modernize the game.
How Mass Effect 2 Was Unified With the Rest of the Trilogy
Upon starting the Legendary Edition, players will immediately notice that Mass Effect 2 has a new launcher, as does the entire trilogy. Even on consoles, the Legendary Edition comes in a single package, not three individual game files. Once Mass Effect 2 has been selected, though, it does have an individual main menu - switching between the three games is not seamless. A photo mode has also been added to ME2 and the entire trilogy, accessible through the pause menu.
The character creator has been unified across all three Mass Effect titles in the Legendary Edition, and a few minor consequences of this are apparent in Mass Effect 2. The default female Shepard character model originally designed and marketed for Mass Effect 3's original release is now the default across all three games. Mass Effect 2's previous default look is still available as one of the character creator's preset options. On a similar note, some player character casual outfits from ME3 have been added to ME2. The Leather and N7 Hoodie outfits can now be worn on the Normandy in ME2.
ME2 also comes with the Mass Effect: Genesis interactive comic. This feature was originally included for the PS3 release as a way to catch up on the story of ME1 and make decisions that would have upcoming effects in ME2. The first game was not available on PS3 at the time, so Genesis was added as a substitute for importing a save file. Genesis is available on every platform for the Legendary Edition in case players want to skip straight to Mass Effect 2.
Like all the DLC from the trilogy, excluding one because of lost code, ME2's extra content is all included in the game, and DLC items have been placed throughout the game to be found more organically, i.e. special weapons and armor might be found at a merchant instead of just given to the player (the only exception being the Recon Hood). ME2's DLC missions are also part of the Legendary Edition, including the Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival expansions, as well as Zaeed and Kasumi's loyalty missions.
Gameplay Changes to Mass Effect 2 in the Legendary Edition
Although not exclusive to Mass Effect 2, many combat encounters have been reworked to provide additional cover. It is also easier to reliably get into cover, a poor-performing feature that was notoriously frustrating in the original releases.
The most significant change to gameplay in ME2 is a rebalance of ammo drops. Players going through the trilogy for the first time in the Legendary Edition will notice that the overheat mechanic from ME1 is not in the sequel, having been replaced by a more traditional ammo system. The thermal clips that collect a weapon's excess heat before being discarded like a quasi-magazine will be more commonly found in the Legendary Edition of ME2. Sniper rifle ammo especially will be easier to obtain, since it once had a much lower drop rate than other ammo types.
Visual Changes to Mass Effect 2 in the Legendary Edition
Since the Legendary Edition is a remaster instead of a complete remake, the most noticeable changes to Mass Effect 2 will be in the visual upgrades. Though not as impressive as the improvements made to the first Mass Effect, ME2 still has significantly greater visual fidelity in the Legendary Edition. For starters, dependent on platform, ME2 can now be displayed in 4K and reach higher frame rates than before. All compatible consoles have 4K support. The PS5, Xbox One, One X, and Series S are able to reach 60 fps, though it may come with a resolution downgrade. The Xbox Series X boasts an impressive 120 fps while targeting 4K when running in the settings mode that favors frame rate, thanks to its more robust backwards compatibility technology when compared to the PS5.
HDR support for compatible displays will help players notice the lighting changes made to ME2. More shadows have been added to the game and multiple post-processing effects from ME3 have been retroactively added in ME2's Legendary Edition in order to bring it up to par. Additional real-time reflections have also been added to the entire trilogy. Legendary Edition PC players also have the luxury of now being able to play ME2 in 21:9 ultrawide, provided they have a suitable monitor.
Mass Effect 2 has also benefitted from its successor in more ways than just lighting. The entire series had its more than 30,000 textures redone to be displayed in 4K, but ME2 also had many reverse integrated from ME3 where the more modern ones were better. The same was done with character models, since ME3 generally had the most impressive faces, though changes were also made to the reworked models in order to maintain continuity. Certain details such as character age, scars, and outfits were given extra attention.
The visual improvements to Mass Effect 2 in the Legendary Edition are by far the most noticeable and widespread. The unification with the other two games in the trilogy goes a long way in helping the series feel more cohesive, and the few combat changes are likely to frustrate players less. Even more so than the first game, Mass Effect 2 retains its identity while garnering some significant improvements in the remaster.