Mass Effect Legendary Edition Changes Detailed

BioWare has unveiled a number of alterations being made to the Mass Effect trilogy as part of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition remastered release. The vast majority of the changes relate to the first game in the trilogy, with many changes focusing on its combat.

The accuracy of all weapons is being tuned, alongside adjustments to the aiming camera and aim assist to provide better overall accuracy more in line with the subsequent titles. Other changes to the first game include rebalanced abilities, Shepard being able to sprint outside of combat, melee attacks being controlled via button press rather than being automatic, faster weapon cooldown times, improved Medi-Gel usage and inventory management, the ability to command squadmates individually, and more.

The Mako vehicle, which was removed for the second and third games, has also received some changes. It will no longer be as light and bouncy as before, and will include faster shield recharging as well as new rear-mounted boosters for use when driving up steep inclines. The experience penalty for defeating enemies while in the Mako has been removed and touching lava will now deal damage rather than result in an automatic game over.

Other improvements affect other games in the trilogy or the trilogy as whole. Cover mechanics have been improved across all three games, while the character creator has been unified across the three games, with new options added. Players will also be able to play with the female Shepard design from Mass Effect 3 in the previous two games, with the original design also available. Players can still change the appearance of Shepard between games if they wish.

Mass Effect 3′s Galaxy at War system has been rebalanced. Player actions across the trilogy will have an impact, with players who play all three games having more chances to improve their Galactic Readiness. Players who only play Mass Effect 3 in the Legendary Edition will find it more difficult to achieve full readiness than in the original release. Adjustments and bug fixes to Mass Effect 2′s Paragon-Renegade system will also make it easier for players to achieve certain moments that can affect Mass Effect 3′s final act.

Meanwhile, the Mass Effect: Genesis comics created by Dark Horse will be available for Mass Effect 2 and 3, so players can select major choices from previous titles if they do not wish to play through them. New achievements have been added, with some now carrying over across games and others streamlined to remove redundancy. Weapon and armour DLC packs have been integrated into the main game and can be obtained from merchants and research.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition will release worldwide on May 14, 2021, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The collection will also be playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S with targeted enhancements.