The Mass Effect trilogy is widely recognized and an influential set of RPGs in gaming history. Naturally, there were many expectations once Mass Effect Legendary Edition was announced. It has been nearly a decade since Mass Effect 3 first released, but it seems the story of Commander Shepard still resonates with players around the world. Mass Effect Legendary Edition remasters the original trilogy, enhancing it to 4K ultra-HD for compatibility with newer systems and next-gen consoles.
While not a full remake of the series, Mass Effect Legendary Edition also includes some new features to make the trilogy feel more cohesive as a collection, without sacrificing the features and quirks that made each installment unique. These features include an updated and unified character creation tool that extends across the entire series, a new HUD for Mass Effect 1 that better matches the sequels, and a Photo Mode, among many others. Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes not only all three games, integrated in a single, unified launcher, but also all DLCs, with the exception of Pinnacle Station and Mass Effect 3 multiplayer.
There is a lot to love about Mass Effect Legendary Edition, from the graphics and unification to gameplay, characters, and story. Even the new launcher's loading cinematic, which provides a Marvel-style roundup of beloved characters, feels painstakingly crafted by individuals who understand the elements of the game that resonated deeply with fans in the first place. Weather patterns on Illium, slippery terrain on ice worlds like Noveria, and updated planetary textures to match Hubble Telescope images all make for a better experience. Though it is not perfect, and there is only so much that can be done in a remaster when compared to a more extensive remake, Mass Effect Legendary Edition succeeds in unifying and remastering a beloved classic in a way that honors both the fans and the originals.
The first thing most players will notice about Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the updated graphics. The original series included a colorful cast of alien races and gorgeous vistas on alien planets. The up-res for 4K vastly improves the look of every character, adding texture and definition to everything from salarian eyes to turian faces. The planetary environments are breathtaking as well. Fans have likely already seen the upgrades in many of the stills captured in the new Photo Mode, and it's easy to create playthrough-specific moments thanks to its wide array of options.
Photo Mode is a stand-out feature of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, allowing players to capture custom photos in-game, including during combat. It is easy to spend hours in Photo Mode, tweaking photos with filters, fiddling with Bloom Threshold, Saturation, and Contrast and repositioning to get the perfect shot. It can be somewhat out of the way to access, but it is worth pausing the action for a good screenshot every so often to immortalize some of the best moments in the series.
The new character creation options also work well, and it is great to have the chance to maintain Commander Shepard's appearance across all three games, rather than needing to shift each time to accommodate new or adjusted options. The new hairstyles have texture and movement, and the new skin tones provide a greater variety of options to represent the diversity of the fanbase. Like Photo Mode, it is easy to get lost in character creation, tweaking the various sliders to get the look that most resonates with the player. The design for the iconic FemShep is now available from the very start, and she looks excellent. The ability to create or select and maintain a standardized appearance for Shepard across all three games makes it even easier to become immersed in their story and feel connected to the character, allowing for more authentic roleplay experiences with each new face players design.
This feeling of connection extends to the whole of Mass Effect Legendary Edition. It feels far more enjoyable and cohesive to play through the entire series from start to end, as the trilogy feels more like a singular narrative now than ever before. In the past, many fans reported playing Mass Effect 1 only once, or altogether skipping it, because it contained so many bugs and so much friction. With the elimination of PC bugs like the notorious black blob bug that changed character models into Minecraft silhouettes, and the more simplified, unified importer to allow players to bring their unique Shepard into the next game, the trilogy now has cohesiveness to it. The integration of Mass Effect: Genesis, the interactive comic that allows players to input their major choices without importing a save file also affords more flexibility to players while maintaining a sense of connectedness across all three games.
Gameplay runs much more smoothly in Mass Effect Legendary Edition than it did in the originals. While gameplay features from Mass Effect 1, like the Mako, aiming, and Elevator rides received a lot of attention, there are many fixes in the sequels that are also worth mentioning. Combat in particular feels more polished, with Shepard more easily ducking into and out of cover to shoot, and ammo clips dropping at more consistent rates. In Mass Effect 3 particularly, which received the smallest number of changes, melee combat has more power and reliability, making it a more viable option to use in a pinch. Boss fights also have more cover as promised, though there are times, especially in Mass Effect 1, where it still feels difficult to find sufficient protection. These features are more subtle than the other updates, but they are no less impactful on overall gameplay and experience.
Mass Effect would not be remembered as it is today without its story and characters, and perhaps thankfully, only character appearances were tweaked in Mass Effect Legendary Edition. The stories, relationships, choices, and consequences players remember are all still present in their entirety. Even many years later, Shepard's story of resilience and heroism holds up against more contemporary narratives in gaming. The themes explored, from choosing to do what's right even when it is difficult or forbidden, to fighting for a cause deemed hopeless, to discovering and learning to work with and navigate new cultures, are universal and resonate as much, if not more so, today as they did over a decade ago.
The characters are also still impressively complex, with real flaws that make even the most alien ones relatable. It is telling that most players have a favorite or group of favorites, and that these options tend to range quite dramatically between the series' wide array of cast members. Shepard's squad is an important part of the immersion and the adventure, and returning to them in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, even with the visual upgrades, feels like coming home.
Of course, no remaster will be perfect, and Mass Effect Legendary Edition still has its fair share of bugs, glitches, and abnormalities that can pull a player out of the experience. Despite the new controls, the Mako is still difficult to handle, and it often gets stuck near mineral deposits during planetary exploration. For as much as it was pushed as an improvement, it still handles poorly on most terrain. Animation bugs are also a nuisance. Heads may still get stuck looking in a single direction while running, eyes still sometimes move in an out of focus, and, in some cases, Shepard's full body may contort in awkward ways. Still, it feels nitpicky to comb through the full trilogy for bugs, given the originals had similar and often more game-breaking issues.
In general, it is an improvement, and there are no significant problems future patches can't address. It is worth mentioning that Mass Effect 1 still shows its age in many ways. The polished graphics are an improvement, but the character models, animation, and combat system do feel somewhat dated, even with the upgrades. There is still friction to it, though not nearly as much as there was in the original.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is still essentially what a remaster ought to be. It remains faithful to the original, emphasizing everything fans loved or loved to poke fun at while making necessary improvements that make gameplay far more enjoyable on contemporary systems. The inclusion of all three games, the new import system in the unified launcher, and the unified character creation options allows the series to feel like a single, cohesive story experience. Though not without bugs, and though Mass Effect 1 still suffers from its age, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a great way for veterans to revisit the series and new fans to dive in for the first time - and it seems almost a certainty that Mass Effect Legendary Edition will renew interest in the franchise as work begins on Mass Effect 4.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A PC code was provided to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.