Review for Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 14/05/2021
Mass Effect is widely recognized as one of the most influential series in the medium's contemporary history. A series that many players keep in a special place in their hearts especially because of its history, for the laudable (albeit imperfect) effort to create a balance between driven narration and the influence of personal choices, for its unforgettable characters. Even today, almost ten years after the release of Mass Effect 3, the epic of Shepard and his companions resonates powerfully in the memories of many users around the world.
In recent years, however, things have changed a lot at BioWare: we have gone from a Mass Effect Andromeda not at all appreciated by fans, to the disaster known as Anthem; a situation of internal conflict with Electronic Arts which resulted in the departure of several key figures of the Edmonton team and the arrival of an understandable distrust on the part of the public. But BioWare grits its teeth and seems willing to get up starting from what is one of his most popular series. While the studio seems to be "coming home" by suggesting a sequel to Shepard's timeline for the next chapter of Mass Effect, with this Legendary Edition gives loyal gamers the perfect way to do the same and dive back into those beloved adventures.
If you are reading this review, however, you may be among those who do not already know Mass Effect. For you this is indeed the perfect opportunity to recover it, and although of course we cannot guarantee that you will like it (everyone has their own tastes, for that matter) it is certainly a series that deserves your attention, especially if you love science fiction works.
Mass Effect is set in a future where humanity has discovered an alien technology on Mars that, once studied and understood, has made it possible to explore the entire galaxy. It has thus come into contact with numerous other alien races and civilizations, whose relations are regulated by the Citadel Council, a space station that constitutes the political center of the galaxy. The player will step into the shoes of the Commander Shepard, which will find itself embroiled on the front lines in a battle against a mysterious alien threat even to the galactic macro-community.
Unfortunately, it is really difficult to enclose the essence of a work of this size in an effective synopsis, moreover without spoiling anything. Suffice it to say that during the adventure that unfolds in the three games that make it up the player will have to make choices which will shape Shepard's character and morality, his s with other characters, and which may have repercussions in the medium term by determining the death or salvation of some of them.
For those with a particularly fond memory of the Mass Effect experience, it will be a real joy to meet again the characters we have grown fond of, or hated; as well as returning to explore and fight in those worlds so different from each other, but so full of that alien charm that strongly characterizes the series. And if at the time of your first experience you left behind some collateral content, this new run in the Legendary Edition will be even more precious.
Mass Effect is one of the densest and most complex fictional universes of its kind, but at the time of the original release of the chapters some side stories, and others even very important ones, were released as paid add-ons. The Legendary Edition instead includes all 40 various DLCs and expansions of the series (leaving out only “Pinnacle Station“, of which unfortunately the source code has been lost, and the multiplayer mode of Mass Effect 3). These contents make this universe even richer in lore, history and background of the various characters, as well as exponentially increase the entertainment value of the compilation, which will keep you busy for dozens of hours.
The first chapter of the original trilogy is undoubtedly the most immature one and which has been affected most over the years, even if some purists favor it for its greater emphasis on the role-playing component. Mass Effect 2 had leaned more towards action, but it had done so effectively and refining its formula in an excellent way. It is therefore not surprising that the second and third chapters have been very little touched in the Legendary Edition. The most obvious effort of BioWare, which has joined forces with Abstraction Games and Blind Squirrel, has been directed above all to update the first Mass Effect and make it as much in line with the sequels as possible. The first thing you will notice is that the HUD has been practically aligned with the style adopted in Mass Effect 2, much more orderly and intuitive to use, especially to keep the status of the group under control. In the Legendary Edition there are no longer any restrictions on the use of weapons, but clearly the specific skills related to them are exclusive to the various classes. In this way, more freedom is given to the shooter component, without however betraying the RPG roots.
Speaking of weapons, moreover, there is a considerable rebalancing of the aiming system and controls, but above all the waiting time for the cooling of weapons and for the use of special abilities has been decreased; another intervention that favors the dynamism of the action. The handling of the MAKO vehicle has also been improved, saving us a lot of curses that many of you will surely remember from the times of the original game during the exploration sessions.
On the technical side, the first Mass Effect is always the one that has benefited most from the remastering operation of the Legendary Edition, also because thanks to it an impressive stylistic harmony has been achieved with respect to his two sequels. BioWare, Abstraction and Blind Squirrel did not just do a graphic update homework, but they did their utmost in a truly remarkable job. The textures of the polygonal models are not only in 4K, but have a quality that gives a better rendering of their volumes and materials. The lighting is managed radically better, both in the overall setting and in the reflections on the surfaces. All this is then accompanied by an updated color palette and even more spectacular particle effects.
Some fans have criticized that some of the graphic changes made to some planets like Eden Prime deviate from the original visual tone; although this is not a far-fetched observation, it is undeniable that the positives far outweigh the negatives.
One aspect of the technical sector that has lagged behind the visual update are animations of the character models, which remind us that a game of more than a generation ago pulsates under the new guise; in addition to a certain rigidity, in some cases the poses of the characters or some facial expressions could be clumsy and ridiculous, but besides making you laugh they do not affect the experience.
On the other hand, they are more annoying some bugs that occasionally appear during the actual action, such as a strange Shepard "side walk" effect and some collision issue that may force you to reload the game. We trust that BioWare will work to resolve them with a corrective patch. In the face of an overall solid graphics sector, we noticed during our test on the PlayStation 4 some frame rate drops and occasional distortion effectsbut nothing particularly disturbing. Fortunately, for those who want to enjoy the game at maximum fluidity, there is a useful option that favors the frame rate over the resolution.
The very structure of the game received several small improvements and very welcome adjustments. First of all there are new options for the character editor and it is possible to select from the first Mass Effect Jane Shepard already customized. All difficulty levels are also accessible from the first game without having to unlock them by completing the adventure. You can choose a different level advancement compared to the original (however available for those who prefer it) which has been recalibrated and streamlined, and provides the cap at Level 30 instead of 60, obviously keeping the same number of Skill Points. An appreciable one has been added Photo Mode which we are sure will delight many fans. In the first Mass Effect they were also improved controls and coverage system, now more in line with the following chapters.
Despite the many small tricks, it must be said that the gameplay is not without problems. The gunplay and the dynamics in general have undoubtedly improved, but are affected a little by the weight of the years and the comparison with more recent and sophisticated titles. After all, as with animations, there are limits within which a remaster can move; a real remake would have been necessary to significantly improve the game.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is one of the best remasters we've ever tried. The care and commitment of BioWare, Abstraction and Blind Squirrel in reinvigorating this series so iconic and important to thousands of players are undeniable and bode well for the future of the Canadian team's productions. The less brilliant aspects of this collection derive above all from the weight of the years that is felt on the original titles, but if you loved them then you will hardly pay too much attention to them. Whether you're a nostalgic fan eager to get back aboard the Normandy or a layman, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the perfect opportunity to revisit one of the most popular series ever.
► Mass Effect Legendary Edition is an RPG-Adventure game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 14/05/2021
