EA has confirmed the much-anticipated Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be released on PlayStation 4 on May 14 worldwide. The team also detailed the trilogy’s many improvements—from graphics to gameplay—especially focusing on how the first game in the trilogy will be brought more in line with the final two titles.
The new edition will include the single-player base content and more than 40 DLCs from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, including the story expansions, weapons, and armor packs. However, there won’t be any multiplayer content. In an interview with The Verge, developer Mac Walters explained how they “had to draw a line.” Adding multiplayer now would mean contemplating cross-play and bridging the gap between new players and those still playing the original multiplayer today. As such, multiplayer will no longer affect player’s galactic readiness, something that impacted the series ending players would receive.
Amongst the many improvements will be more impressive graphics, with the title boasting 4K Ultra HD with HDR. This means the team has uprezzed tens of thousands of textures and made improvements to shaders, VFX, lighting, dynamic shadows, volumetrics, and depth-of-field. Not only will the game look smarter while you’re playing it, but the pre-rendered cinematics will also look enhanced.
Character models have also been remastered. There are more options for hair, makeup, and skin tone. These customization options have also been unified across the three titles, meaning your character doesn’t need to be changed while playing the trilogy. If you’re not fussed about character customization, there’s also the option to play as the default Mass Effect 3 female Shepard in all three games too.
The first game in the trilogy will get its own enhancements to bring it more in line with the second two. Locations like Eden Prime, Ilos and Feros will get added detail and depth. Combat has been improved through the addition of aim assist, better squad controls and AI behavior, more balanced boss encounters, and weapons no longer being restricted by character class. Upgraded Mako handling (new physics, an alternative control scheme, and speed boost) and cameras, as well as faster elevators (load times) make exploration less of a chore. There will also be a revamped UI and adjusted control scheme that now includes a dedicated melee button, as well as general quality-of-life improvements. Take a look at some of those enhancements in the reveal trailer below:
Project Director Mac Walters explains why the team has decided to remaster the three games:
It’s been an incredible journey revisiting the stories, characters and iconic moments of the Mass Effect trilogy, enhancing the experience for modern platforms while staying true to the spirit of the original. Remastering a game, let alone three, is a huge undertaking as there’s over 100 hours of gameplay included, but we wanted to do this for our fans as well as a new generation of gamers looking to jump into the iconic story of Shepard.
Previously rumored to be releasing in March, the title is set to release on May 14 on PlayStation 4. The title will also have forward compatibility on PlayStation 5, including performance enhancements for the next-gen console.
[Source: The Verge]
