Mass Effect Legendary Edition overview and Review
I played the hell out of these games when they were first released, on my good old Xbox 360 and then again on my PC once I purchased one. I loved them, I loved the world they opened up to me and I have to say even to this day Garrus is my favorite character. That Turian walks at my side throughout the trilogy, Shepard's best friend and easily one of the more interesting of the characters in the series. I grew up a massive fan of Star Trek. Don't get me wrong I enjoy Star Wars, well to varying degrees now, but Star Trek shaped how I looked at Sci-fi on the screen, both big and small. Mass Effect very much leans into this type of science fiction, you have your own ship and crew that essentially operate as part of your extended family. The science is more grounded without the 'space magic' that works in some other franchises. This is an adventure that spans our galaxy, delves into a number of unique alien races, and delves into an interstellar history that goes back millennia. You, of course, begin the game as Commander Shepard. Be it, man or woman, with a number of possible roles available to you along with a unique history that will shape some of the responses to your character. It is the first of the trilogy that we are presented with the biggest improvements to the overall gameplay and graphics, Bioware did a good job of updating the release. It is a far more fluid experience with the combat massively improved from the original game, it makes it far more engaging than the game I played way back in 2007. The game is not without bugs, though they were few and far between in my experience, they were nothing that proved game-breaking, the updates certainly removed some of them. The first game is far more RPG-heavy than the later installments, with a massive amount of customisation, something that is lost in the next game. Thankfully that changed in Mass Effect 3.
The game works best when you invest your time into your companions, you may only be able to take two on your missions but upon the Normandy, you have the opportunities to speak to them and develop your relationships, opening up new side-missions and dialogue. This is where the game really shines, it is meant to be invested into, and it opens up the worlds beyond the Normandy as you discover through these representatives what life is like in the cultures they come from. I enjoyed learning about Tali's pilgrimage and the events that shaped Wex's life, about the things that infuriated Garrus about C-sec and drove him to join Shepard's mission. This is expanded upon in the following games, done especially well in Mass Effect 2 as it is vital if you wish for your companions to survive the last mission against the Collectors. I always felt the need to hunt down every mission in each game, to ensure that each team member is loyal to Shepard and willing to die at their side if need be. My only real complaint is that in the third game the selection of teammates proved a little sparse and human-heavy, I really missed having a Krogan in the mix.
Now we come to the Reapers, the big bad of the series. They remain a truly daunting foe, unknowable machines that have been around for millions of years. They endeavor to ensure that each cycle is brought to an end, that the civilised races are harvested before they return to dark space to begin the cycle over once more. Indoctrination is a key component of the first game, Saren lost to Sovereign's influence without being aware of what is being done to him. This is developed more as we learn of the Collectors in Mass Effect 2 and then the key role it plays in Mass Effect 3 and the plans of the Illusive Man. The illusive man is played brilliantly by Martin Sheen and remains one of my favourite performances in the trilogy. I do enjoy that it is openly admitted that the races cannot conventionally beat the Reaper forces, that they do not possess the might and technology to push them back. It all comes down to the races that came before and the plans that they brought into being. It weighs heavily on Shepard, the responsibility of it all, and yet they push forth with their friends and crewmates at their side. Storywise Mass Effect remains the best in the trilogy but, for me, the lack of RPG elements made it less fun than it could have been.
Bioware has done a good job on this 'Remaster', a good effort considering how gamers now view the studio in the wake of Anthem. It goes a ways to rebuilding some of the standings they once had and fostering hope that they can return to form in the years ahead. I would like to highlight that the Citadel DLC is the best part of this entire Edition, the adventure is endearing and brings together many of the favourites of the series. I love playing it, the humour works well for me and I loved having Wrex and others back in the fold. I would recommend any sci-fi fan give these games a go, more so if you enjoy third-person shooters and RPGs. This is edition is not to be missed in my opinion, it proves that Bioware is still capable of labours of love.
