As widely rumoured, the original trilogy is getting a remaster and it's out on 14th May. All three games (plus all the various bits of DLC) in 4K/HDR, and 60fps if you're on a next-gen console. You get updated character models, better textures and what appears to be a shit ton of unnecessary lens flare.
It's been long enough since I played these games that I can't really remember them in any detail, so they might be ripe for a revisit. In fact I'm pretty sure I only ever played the first two. Of those, I remember the first one as being epic, mysterious and atmospheric, but incredibly janky to actually play; and the second as being much slicker but with some of its more interesting edges rounded off. The third one I avoided because of the controversy around its ending (later remedied?) and the decision to hive off a chunk of its content as day one DLC.
I've never played Andromeda either, though, and that's on GamePass now, I wonder whether it's worth dipping into that to see if the series still appeals?
Andromeda is very different to the original trilogy, mechanically, narratively, and tonally; I'm not sure how useful a yardstick it would be for the series as a whole.
The ending of Mass Effect 3 wasn't really "remedied", so much as enhanced; the core of it is still the same. It just felt like maybe the most cliché direction they could have gone in, and I have to admit that I still have a bit of a sour taste in my mouth from it.
I'm not sure if I'm interested in the Legendary Edition. Partly because I played the original game a lot - maybe a dozen times? - and partly because neither of the sequels grabbed me in quite the same way.
Because I am, forever and always, Part of The Problem™, I have already preordered this on Series X.
I've never played Andromeda either, though, and that's on GamePass now, I wonder whether it's worth dipping into that to see if the series still appeals?
I'm really enjoying Andromeda, as a dip-in-and-out kinda game. I might be missing out on some of the various story interactions and nuance by treating it as a series of discrete mini-mission chunks, but the moment-to-moment is good enough to pull me along. That said, I feel like they've over-simplified the controls, especially around the powers – ME2 definitely had a better method of managing your party's skills, with a radial you could pull up to control the entire team's power usage. In this, I can only assign three powers to my own character, and as near as I can tell there's no way to order team-mates to use a particular ability – which limits the tactical planning you can do with combos.
The universe and characters are pretty great, through.
Probably day one for this. Loved the first one, but it was janky af. I hardly ever replay games but I must've played through ME1 4 or 5 times. Second I thought lost a lot of the space opera-ness and scope of the first but was still good. Third, hmm, played a couple of times (indeed once on the WiiU) and it's largely OK in the first half then falls apart in the second. I don't have a huge issue with the ending (although I think the first game hinted at what would've been a far more interesting direction to take the story in, but never did) but the last few hours to get there were peak videogame tripe in points. Andromeda I've tried starting about 6 times and have hated every time. This might be the opportunity to see if I can finally break into it (as I can't really see why I don't chime with it as it isn't a million miles from the first three).
But I'm in for a good 60fps/4K/less lifts remaster of the first two - 100%.
Liam reminds me of a guy I work with, so I'm maybe a little more sympathetic to his Lahndahn vibe. He's the first male party member in a BioWare game, though; aren't they supposed to be rubbish?
…maybe. I tried really hard to like him, and he means well, but he's just such an unprofessional idiot. Kicking footie wif da locals is one thing, but Spoiler - click to showgiving away operational intel to unproven allies without any kind of authorisation and only admitting it after the factwould have gotten him spaced if only I'd had the option.
From what I've heard, it's actually a PS4/Xbox release, but it'll hit 60fps on the newer consoles (through backward compatibility - there's no specific PS5/Series X version). So you should be fine.
I'd have bought this just for a remaster of the first game, the fact that it's the whole trilogy (maybe I'll like ME2 more this time) makes this a must buy for me, I got a 360 for Mass Effect and wew lads, that game good tbh.
I struggle with the generic faces of Shepard in the promos, I made my guy a chinese/yakuza looking type originally and then played with him throughout, so seeing the stock character is always a tad jarring.
I loved the first and then was interested enough to finish the others but don't rate them as highly as others, I don't think I will bother with this until way into the future. I have been playing the first KOTOR in bits lately around working, and still utterly love that.
I just wish there was a realistic-looking middle-aged woman. Even in this remaster, where they claim to have 'added some wrinkles' to the female model, she's very… glam.
The female VO is great, but it doesn't match the 20-something faces.
Didn't they change the face of the default female Shepard in the third one to make her look even more like a 20-something pop star? The default in the first two games wasn't too bad, but I saw pictures from the third game and she just looked ridiculous. And I think they've retrofitted that across the whole trilogy in this remaster.
I made Shepherd kinda gaunt in the first game, which evolved into kinda undead in the second and fortunately thin and deathly pale with a half-assed ponytail was still an option in 3.
I just wish there was a realistic-looking middle-aged woman. Even in this remaster, where they claim to have 'added some wrinkles' to the female model, she's very… glam.
The female VO is great, but it doesn't match the 20-something faces.
This is why I changed from the default. I have found a photo of my Shep on Photobucket of all places, whilst looking for something else there. Although they are telling me that I am illegally hosting images on there so don't think it would link.
