Finally! Mass Effect: Legendary Edition has been revealed by BioWare and Electronic Arts, as well as an announcement that a whole new Mass Effect game is in the works.
This will be an N7 Day to remember. Releasing in 2021, the trio of games will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and they'll also offer "forward compatibility and targeted enhancements" for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Crucially, these are not remakes built from the foundations of the originals, but shinier versions of the trilogy that are in their "best possible form[s]".
Players will look forward to "super-sharp resolution, faster framerates, and beautiful visual enhancements," and all of the single-player DLC and promotional items will also be bundled in for free. Furthermore and expectedly, the textures, shaders, character models, and visual effects will receive a lick of paint for the Legendary Edition. Commander Shepard! In 4K Ultra HD! On your telly! I'm amped.
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Not only have the remasters been officially revealed, but BioWare is hard at work on a brand-new space-kissing adventure in the series. Very little was shared about the "next chapter of the Mass Effect universe," but there is a "veteran team" at the wheel of the project. It seems that the hopes and prayers of fans have been answered, and creative director Casey Hudson thanked the community for their support over the years. "I can't wait to continue our adventure together - revisiting our favorite memories in the Mass Effect universe, and creating brand new ones!" he said in the blog post.
It's brilliant news for veteran Spectres and new recruits alike. Mass Effect: Andromeda was the latest entry to the series, and while its combat was especially satisfying, it missed the mark on a lot of the elements that make a Mass Effect game. For many, it was a half-hearted adventure and we found out later that, like Anthem, it was besieged by issues from behind the scenes. It's exciting that in spite of the poor performance of Andromeda, the team is getting another go to deliver a new story in a new corner of the galaxy.
The rumours of the remasters have been circling like Reapers for some time, with VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb sowing the seeds of speculation in August. He claimed that the trio (and all of their DLC) would be launching in October, however, the developers were struggling to bring Mass Effect in line with the visual quality expected of modern third person shooters. Ergo, the remasters were delayed, which is also when an "Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition" book, featuring never-before-seen artworks from the games, is slated to arrive, too. Turns out Grubb and the gang were on the money, and we'll be traipsing round the Citadel once again in 2021.
Featured Image Credit: BioWareTopics: Next-Gen, News, Mass Effect
