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Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition

When it comes to video game trilogies, there is hardly one that is as iconic and influential as the Mass Effect series. And with the release of the Legendary Edition, newcomers and returning fans can enjoy all three games in higher resolution textures and downloadable contents all in one convenient package. And although the game is mostly fine to enjoy on its own, I'd be remised not to recommend that you play it with mods. Because even though the Legendary Edition is a decent step up visually-wise for the trilogy, it still leaves plenty to be desired concerning everything else. I don't make that statement lightly, and it isn't meant to be inflammatory, it's simply the unfortunate truth. If you want the true Legendary Edition and experience the namesake of the title, and play the game in its best possible state, then the only way to get it is through modding. Fortunately for everyone, myself included, installing mods for Mass Effect Legendary Edition is almost as easy as hating Batarians. As someone who's had experience installing mods for games such as Fallout: New Vegas, Skyrim, and Dragon Age to name a few, Mass Effect has to be the easiest and most painless modding experience I've ever had.
Thankfully, a fan who goes by the name of SyntheticSyndicate on NexusMods had already done the bulk of the work for us. He created a beginner-friendly modding guide where he'd aggregate the best mods and quality-of-life improvements on the site into a single, mostly, comprehensive collection. It's convenient, easy to understand, and very well organized. Here's the link to his guide for your convenience: Modding Guide (and Mod Collection) for Legendary Edition
As much as I love that guide, there are several other mods I'd like to bring to your attention that wasn't included which I strongly feel should be. This is exactly why I've taken it upon myself to create a companion/supplement guide to the main one for you to use. I've put a lot of work into it, and I hope you find it useful:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2964349289
Another issue I'd like to address is how players are forced to use EA's terrible proprietary platform, Origins, if they want to play, even if the platform is terribly designed and riddled with bugs. One of which is currently preventing players from earning achievements. It's a problem that has existed ever since the game launched and despite promising to get it fixed, it persists even today. It's a problem that many players had to deal with including me, and it's extremely annoying and inconvenient. Thankfully, there is a clean and easy workaround for this problem. There are many guides detailing the steps, but I found this to be the most reliable and effective. If you're a new player, be sure to follow it before you start playing. It's worked for me many times, and I think it'll work for you too.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935989297
With that out of the way, how do I feel about the actual games themselves? All I can say is it's been legendary. I've been a massive fan of the series since 2012 and revisiting it after ten years has been incredibly exciting, emotional, and rewarding. Each game has its many strengths and weaknesses, but the one trait all of them share is unbridled passion and creativity. Each fully deserving of their own review but for the sake of time and real estate, an insightful but quick analysis will have to do.

Mass Effect

The first Mass Effect used to be the black sheep of the family. It was referred to by many as the gatekeeper of the series and with good reasons. Despite its strong story and characters, the clunky gameplay and rapidly aging graphics were becoming increasingly evident as the generation progresses. However, that's no longer the case with the Legendary Edition. With mods, I had the time of my life with this game. With all of the rough edges polished, the excellent plot, likable characters, and amazing lore were able to shine through like never before seen. To my absolute shock and delight, It went from being my least favorite to my second favorite game in the series, and the only reason it didn't take that top spot is because of the game I'm going to talk about next.

Mass Effect 2

Otherwise known as the Crème de la crème of the series, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game out of the three, and so often the case with many others, and one only has to play a few hours to begin to understand why so many fans hold it in such high regard. A simple but effective plot gives us a strong goal to work toward, an incredibly memorable and well-written cast of characters, a darker and seedier approach to the tone of the galaxy, the enigmatic and charismatic Illusive Man played flawlessly by Martin Sheen, a more refined and streamlined approach to the gameplay, and what you have in the end is a game that epitomizes everything of what a true sequel should be. Whatever weaknesses it has is profoundly outweighed by the positives, and ten years later I'm thrilled to say that Mass Effect 2 is still one of my favorite games of all time.

Mass Effect 3

Where do I begin with this game? On one hand, it has some of the best writing and iconic moments in the entire series. And on the other, some of the most nonsensical, insulting, and downright baffling writing and design choices I've ever seen. One moment you want to sing to the choir about how good the game is, and the next you wonder whether the writing team collectively suffered a massive stroke and were forced to hire chimpanzees to complete the story halfway through. In all seriousness, Mass Effect 3 is the product of a team who worked themselves tirelessly to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion, in states which I can only assume are akin to sweatshop-like conditions, and forced to meet impossible and unrealistic deadlines by Electronic Arts. Not only was Bioware trying to create one of the most ambitious RPGs ever made, but they also had to do it in significantly less time than any of their previous two games, while simultaneously developing a tacked-on multiplayer horde mode. So, as much as I want to scold them for doing such a half-a$$ job with what was supposed to be their magnum opus, I can't help but developed an immense sense of respect and gratitude that the game came out as competently as it did. If you can't tell by now, I'm emotionally torn on this game. I truly do love it and see the potential in it, but I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment and regret every time I play the game knowing how different and extraordinary it could've been had things turned out differently. If I can leave a piece of advice for anyone going into Mass Effect 3, it's this: Enjoy the game for what it is because there is a lot to love about it. The highs are amazingly high, but prepare yourself for the lows because that sh!t will be lower than the Mariana Trench.

Parting Words

Despite its shaky and questionable finale, the Mass Effect trilogy had a profound impact on me as it did on so many others. Playing again ten years later, it reminds me why the series was so beloved and had rightly earned such legendary status among fans. Its breathtaking worldbuilding and lore, well-told story, and diverse and well-written ensemble of characters have forever etched themselves into the annals of gaming history. It truly was, and still is, the most epic sci-fi video game saga of all time. And that is why Mass Effect Legendary Edition is my favorite game on the Citadel. I should go.