The wait may finally be over for Mass Effect fans looking for an upgraded re-release of the original trilogy of developer BioWare's space-themed RPGs. The games, which were all huge blockbusters of the Xbox 360 era, have been the target of a rumored remaster throughout the current generation. As other trilogies got the re-release treatment, most of EA's games were left behind, and the publisher has only recently embraced the trend with titles like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Command & Conquer, and Burnout Paradise. EA has also expressed happiness with the performance of these releases and wants to do more in the future, which is only a good sign for fans of BioWare's space opera.
Any possible Mass Effect remaster was also delayed by the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the current-gen release in the franchise. That release was panned by both fans and critics for its technical issues at launch and lesser storytelling when compared to the original trilogy. While the game was eventually improved with patching, the planned DLC expansions for Andromeda were unceremoniously cancelled, leaving the game in what many feel is an unfinished state. Following that, it's taken a good few years (and the disastrous release of another sci-fi property) for BioWare and EA to come back around on the franchise.
As reported in EA's financial earnings earlier this week, the publisher states it will announce the release date of at least one remastered title. On social media this morning, several reliable sources claim that this will be the Mass Effect Trilogy remaster fans have been waiting for, and the announcement will be tomorrow. It's a sensible prediction considering that tomorrow is also November 7, or N7 Day as it's known in the Mass Effect fandom. There's almost always a celebration for the franchise holiday, and an announcement of this magnitude would make for a notable celebration indeed.
It will be interesting to see what the team behind the possible Mass Effect remaster will improve about the three games. The original, which originally released under the Microsoft umbrella before EA bought out BioWare, has a few very rough patches. Long load times in elevators (which would likely be completely erased on next-gen systems) and clunky vehicle segments meant that the series didn't really take off until Mass Effect 2. Would the team go back to make the first one more palatable in this remaster, or would this just be the same games at a better resolution?
Either way, it's been a long wait for Mass Effect fans, and any new release could signal that the franchise isn't completely dead after the release of Andromeda. Considering how Anthem failed to capture a sizable audience, it may be wise for EA to put BioWare on another trip to Commander Shepard's galaxy. It would be interesting to see where the story could pick up after Mass Effect 3, but, as sci-fi TV serials have shown plenty of times over the years, there's always a time anomaly or omnipotent being ready to fix the plot holes. Just don't bring in another Starchild.