When players board the Normandy again in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, they are most likely to notice major changes right away. When remastering the beloved trilogy, developers at BioWare reported noticing the most friction with the original Mass Effect game, which was released back in 2007. It seems they are not the only ones, as many fans report having altogether skipped or never returned to the game that launched the franchise due to its clunky and often frustrating mechanics, despite its overall well-constructed story and strong characters. According to team leader Mac Walters in a preview event for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, the first Mass Effect game got the most attention and updates, and fans may find it is like playing for the first time all over again.
Many of the general and quality of life updates developers were eager to showcase at this event came from the original game. The changes made range from the purely cosmetic, like allowing both new and enhanced character customization options and the ability to recreate the iconic look for Female Shepard, which didn't appear until Mass Effect 3, to the structural, like improving control and handling in the Mako. These upgrades are more likely to make the first Mass Effect game not only replayable, but enjoyable, and allow the trilogy to feel more unified than it originally did.
The team at BioWare worked with a group of fans, including cosplayers, modders, and other content creators, to learn more about what the community wanted and expected from a remake. Producer Crystal McCord explained that they received the most feedback by far about the original Mass Effect, prompting them to work most extensively on improving it.
How The First Mass Effect Will Be Different
Players will notice improvements to the look and feel of the first Mass Effect game in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition from the very first mission on Eden Prime. In the original, fans entered a dark, foggy world without much color or texture due to the placement of the sun. Though it is a warzone at the time, developers wanted to emphasize that Eden Prime was a lush human settlement under attack. By simply changing the direction of the sun, they were able to avoid changing too much about the level's visuals and instead simply let players see more of the environment and its natural beauty. Thoughtful, affectionate enhancements like this can be found throughout the remaster.
Apart from Mass Effect's graphics up-res and 4K optimization, and numerous bug fixes that include eliminating the issue where characters would become black blocks during the missions on Noveria and Ilos on AMD processors, combat received some attention as well. The combat HUD has been adjusted to better match the ones in the sequels and allow for better usability, and the cover system has been optimized to reduce glitching. Players will experience improved squad controls for better tactical combat and planning, and aiming should feel smoother with a better aim assist system. Developers say the original Mass Effect had more in common with a traditional RPG than a shooter, which sets it apart from the others in the series. The goal in the remaster was to make the three games feel more cohesive, which they say included better shooting and combat mechanics for the original.
The Mako and the elevator rides received special attention as well. The Mako vehicle is notorious for its extremely poor handling in the original, though some fans have suggested that is part of its charm. Based on the feedback they received from the community, developers updated the controls and handling for the Mako to make planetary exploration more enjoyable, possibly even as enjoyable as it was in Mass Effect 2. The excessively lengthy elevator rides have also gained notoriety. Like a certain Turian ex-CSec agent, some fans found the long elevator rides on the Citadel charming, as they are the main opportunity for squad banter and one of the few times Shepard and their team aren't dealing with hostile situations. Accounting for this, developers have left the option for players to ride the elevator as they normally would, but have also added an option to skip the ride and get right back into the action. This should make scanning Keepers just a little less of a slog while still granting nostalgic fans an option to relive the infamous and humorous experience they remember.
While it is obvious that older games like the original Mass Effect would take more time and attention to remaster for a new generation of consoles and gamers, the care put into and importance placed upon this original game runs deeper. With any remaster, fans tend to hope the developers will keep what made the original so special and nostalgic to them while updating and optimizing the graphics and mechanics. It is clear the team at BioWare prioritized this balance and were committed to listening to the voices of their fans, leading them to treat the original Mass Effect as the most important part of the remaster process.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition releases May 14, 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with forward compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.