Legendary edition of Mass Effect: everything we know about the remastered collection

The Mass Effect trilogy is returning almost 10 years after BioWare ended the story of Commander Shepard in his sci-fi RPG series. BioWare is relaunching all three original Mass Effect games as Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which brings a number of improvements to the original games and brings them together in one big package.

BioWare has released a lot of information about what we can expect from the Legendary Edition, including what it improves, what changes in the history of the trilogy and what it leaves out of the original games. Check out the full summary of everything we know about Mass Effect Legendary Edition now, including when you can play it.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition release date and platforms

Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be released on May 14 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. It will also be available on Xbox Series X | S and PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition orders

You can order the new Mass Effect trilogy now in a variety of versions, including digital and physical copies. The game itself will cost $ 60 and there is also a physical collector’s edition that comes with a series of physical goodies – but remember that it does not include a copy of the game, so you will have to pick it up separately. Go to our Mass Effect Legendary Edition ordering guide to see all your options.

Is a version of the switch coming?

A version of the Switch has not been announced – only Xbox One, PS4 and PC. But Mass Effect Legendary Edition too, and suggested that it might be a possibility in the future. We just don’t know at this point.

What does the package include?

You get Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which are unified by a splash screen that allows you to load in each of the three games. They will not run to each other, however; if you’re done with Mass Effect, you’ll have to go back to the home screen to load Mass Effect 2.

The package also comes with almost all the DLC that was released for the trilogy, more than 40 pieces that include all the additional content of the story, weapon and armor packages and so on.

Not all DLC did, however. Mass Effect’s Pinnacle Station add-on, which was primarily focused on combat and added some achievements to the original Xbox title, is not part of the package. BioWare said that the source code of the DLC was corrupted – that’s why the developer cannot bring it into this package.

Is multiplayer included?

No. BioWare said it is not including multiplayer because it wants to focus on a player’s experience for Legendary Edition, which means it will rebalance Mass Effect 3 to take that into account. (In the original release of ME3, you needed to increase a stat called “Galactic Readiness”, which could be achieved by completing multiplayer games.)

What is updated?

Mass Effect Legendary Edition makes many changes to the game, but mainly improves the look of the originals. The games run in 4K HDR at 60 FPS on all platforms. BioWare says it is also about getting a more consistent and smooth experience. The character models (including FemShep’s) have also been improved and there is now a consistent character creator across all three games.

Here is a quick list of other improvements to the look of Mass Effect:

• Tonemapping
• Anti-aliasing
• Volumetry and fog
• Depth of field and flowering
• Bokeh depth of field (to enhance artistic style)
• Subsurface dispersion in the skin
• Ambient occlusion (previously only in selected scenes in ME3; now present throughout the trilogy

What has changed in the original trilogy?

BioWare has made a big mess of adjustments in the original games, mainly on the game side to create more consistency between each experience. There are some tweaks to the story of the original trilogy, although I don’t expect cut content to be added to the games. Elevator travel is getting severely shortened. Galactic Readiness, a Mass Effect 3 mechanic, is being rebalanced. Check out our.

There are specific improvements for PS5 or Xbox Series X | S?

Unfortunately not. BioWare said it is not adding specific features for each console – there will be no exclusive tactile feedback on the PS5, for example, or special use of Quick Resume on the Xbox Series X and S console versions. go Take advantage of the additional power of the new hardware, so expect some serious reduction in load times with Legendary Edition.

How does the end of Mass Effect 3 work?

When Mass Effect 3 was released in 2012, there was a huge outcry about its ending – both the content of how the ending worked, and how the consequences of the final moments gave little context as to what happens to the galaxy after Shepard’s story ends. . In response, BioWare soon released a patch for the ending that added a longer ending scene to each end of the game’s finals, reducing the effects of what happened.

When playing Mass Effect 3 in Legendary Edition, you will only be able to access the extended version of the ending – the original is not in this package.