Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is on the horizon, and these screenshots of the remastered characters and worlds are simply awe-inspiring when we think of how the original game looked.
"For many months now, our team at BioWare has been hard at work updating the textures, shaders, models, effects, and technical features of three enormous games. Our goal was not to remake or reimagine the original games, but to modernize the experience so that fans and new players can experience the original work in its best possible form," said creative director Casey Hudson at the time the games were announced. As well as all DLC and extra promotional items, the trilogy has benefitted from "super-sharp resolution, faster frame rates, and beautiful visual enhancements" thanks to the advancements in game development since the mid-2000s.
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Now, these screenshots courtesy of magazine CD-Action (which were then upscaled and uploaded to Reddit) show just how much things have changed for the better. Specifically, this is showing the remaster of Mass Effect, which coincidentally was the game that was causing the most headaches for BioWare when it came to upgrading the visuals of the series. This custom Shepard reveals that new additions have been integrated into the original's character customisation: their hairstyle is one from Mass Effect: Andromeda. Furthermore, the texture of their skin looks a lot more lifelike, and their eyebrows are no longer camouflaging with the rest of their face. Hopefully, these adjustments will lead to much more expressive Shepards, and I'm personally praising the new options for hairstyles, eyebrows, and makeup. Truly, we were in dire straits back then.
The second screenshot is of Eden Prime, the planet that the Commander and Kaidan arrive on to recover a Prothean beacon at the start of the saga. Eden Prime is intended to be a beautiful agrarian world, and it was actually inspired by the Lake District. The caption in Polish reads "renewed and expanded Eden Prime location," which does intrigue me, however as BioWare hasn't explicated anything of the sort, we should take this statement with a pinch of salt. The lighting on the new version of the planet is really something, and the screenshot offers a look at the detailed foliage in the environment, enlivening the settlement in a new way compared to the original.
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Oh, before you leave - Mass Effect 5 is in development with BioWare. We only got a glimpse of the anticipated entry into the sci-fi series with a trailer at The Game Awards, but the team has welcomed a number of key figures from the original games to envision the next adventure in the Milky Way. It might even feature Henry Cavill.
Featured Image Credit: BioWare, EATopics: News, Mass Effect