On November 7th, also known as N7 Day for Mass Effect fans, BioWare and Electronic Arts announced the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. The Legendary Edition includes HD remasters of the entire Mass Effect trilogy.
The Legendary Edition will include the single-player content from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3. It will also include all downloadable content and extra promo packs. Everything has been remastered and updated for 4K Ultra HD.
It will not include the multiplayer component of Mass Effect 3, nor the oft-derided spin-off sequel, Mass Effect: Andromeda.
“For many months now, our team at BioWare has been hard at work updating the textures, shaders, models, effects and technical features of three enormous games,” writes Casey Hudson, general manager, BioWare. “Our goal was not to remake or reimagine the original games, but to modernize the experience so that fans and new players can experience the original work in its best possible form. It’s been amazing to see the adventures of Commander Shepard take on new life in super-sharp resolution, faster framerates, and beautiful visual enhancements.”
The original Mass Effect trilogy is widely considered one of the hallmarks of the previous generation (2007-2012). Players chose a custom hero to be their Commander Shepard, embarking on a cinematic sci-fi RPG with exotic alien planets, memorable allies, and a universe-ending story.
Mass Effect 2 and 3 allows importing the previous Shepard, and all the choices and consequences players made, including whether some party members lived or died. Mass Effect 3 is infamous for its heavily criticized ending that the developers later went back and edited.
The series has seen a downward trend after the very ill-received spin-off, Mass Effect: Andromeda released in 2017, featuring a new protagonist and cast.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is coming Spring 2021 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, with “forward compatibility and targeted enhancements on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.”
The announcement also teases a future new Mass Effect project that BioWare is currently working on. The series is rated M for Mature.
