The latest PlayStation Blog talked about Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and all the changes it brings with it.
The randomness of the first game is getting remedied
I already talked about everything you need to know about Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. But the new PlayStation Blog covers more regarding combat, gameplay changes, the Mako, unifying the trilogy, and the Galaxy at War finetuning.
One of the most important aspects is fixing the combat of the first Mass Effect game. Unlike its sequels, the first game leans more on the RPG side of things. Basically, there was some randomness to combat. Your aim could get horrible all of a sudden for no apparent reason. With Legendary Edition, players maintain accuracy consistently without losing firepower. Aim down sights also received some fine-tuning. Some abilities got changed to be more impactful and interactive in combat situations. The end result is snappier combat without the randomness. I’ll list some more helpful changes down below:
- Shepard can sprint out of combat
- Any relevant enemy in the first Mass Effect game can take headshot damage
- All classes can use all weapons without penalties
- Weapon powers received improvements
- Weapons cool down faster
Finetuning certain combat encounters
Encounters, enemies, and how players engage in combat have been revamped as well. When it comes to certain foes and boss encounters, players got trashed. Having an overwhelmingly powerful foe bully you isn’t fun in any game unless it’s Dark Souls. This kind of combat encounter has been toned down a bit, so they’re manageable but still challenging. You’re also able to control your squadmates independently of one another in the first Mass Effect, the cover system for the entire trilogy received improvements, and the first title got XP balancing changes so everyone can get to higher levels in their first playthrough.
Mako won’t be a nightmare to drive anymore
The Mako gets a much-needed overhaul. The bouncy vehicle from the first game had horrible controls. Driving that thing around gave most people a headache, but not anymore. Now the Mako has better handling and camera controls, faster-charging shields, new thrusters for a speed boost, and no more instant Mission Failure when players touch lava.
Unifying the Mass Effect trilogy and Customization
It’s not easy, unifying an entire trilogy. However, BioWare seems to have a solid battle plan. Even if it’s a minor change, unifying Shepard’s customization options for all three games is an excellent move. We get more skin tones and hairstyles across all three titles. With the same character creator code used across all three games, your Shepard can look the same in each title. But, you can also change Shepard’s appearance at the start of each game.
The Mass Effect: Genesis comics by Dark Horse are also available. That way players can make choices from the previous titles without having to play them. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition brings changes that let people transition from one title to the next seamlessly:
- A new unified launcher for the entire trilogy
- Better character creator options for all three games
- New trophies for the entire trilogy
- The natural integration of weapons and armor DLC packs
Defeating the Reapers is hard but possible through hard work
Remember the Mass Effect 3 ending and how BioWare turned their entire fanbase against them? Then it was fixed in the Extended Cut? No worries, players can take down the Reapers without losing half the galaxy in the Legendary Edition. However, it won’t be easy. Even with the galaxy united, the Reapers are a formidable enemy.
Completing as much content as possible in all three games and carrying over that progress to the finale is crucial if you want to face the Reapers head-on. It’s still possible to take the Reapers down without playing the first two games, but it will take a tremendous amount of effort. The Mass Effect: Legendary Edition changes fix a lot of bugs regarding the Paragon-Renegade system in the second game. Because of this, some impossibly hard-to-achieve moments from Mass Effect 2 can be completed, although it won’t be easy.
All in all, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition aims to bring a heap of useful changes that seem like they will greatly enhance the experience of all three games. The Legendary Edition comes in a month, are you excited to play it or will you be skipping it because of the price tag? Let me know in the comments section down below!
While you wait, you can pick up any of the three games for a crazy-low price on HRK Game and enjoy them in their original version before the Legendary Edition comes!
