1. Big Changes to Mass Effect 3’s Galaxy at War
Gameplay Changes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
You may (or may not) remember that Galaxy at War, Mass Effect 3’s way of determining your galactic readiness (AKA your ability to properly combat the reapers and to see all the endings), was partially determined by your participation in the game’s multiplayer.
While this could have been a disaster for BioWare, Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer was quite good and it wasn’t a requirement (it just made things a lot easier). So as a feature overall, it was OK!
Those that have been following Mass Effect Legendary Edition closely, however, may already know that Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer game mode will not be in the Legendary Edition. So how will galactic readiness and Galaxy at War work? Well, BioWare recently went into some detail.
Instead of external factors such as the old app or multiplayer playing into your galactic readiness, your decisions and the content you complete across all three games will determine how prepared you are. In other words, the more content you complete, the more ready you will be.
BioWare recommends starting with Mass Effect 1 and playing through all of the games while carrying your progress over. If you try and start right with Mass Effect 3 you still can unlock all the endings but you will essentially need to 100% the game.
2. Mass Effect 1’s Mako Will be Less Painful to Drive
Gameplay Changes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Everyone apparently hated driving the Mako in Mass Effect 1. Personally, I never found it to be that difficult, but hey, if you thought it was bad you’ll like these changes coming in the Legendary Edition.
The physics while driving the Mako are going to have more weight to them in order to be less “bouncy” and “uncontrollable.” You’ll have faster shield recharging, and new speed boost thrusts that will propel you forward quickly. If you accidentally fling yourself into Lava while on Therum you won’t instantly fail and you’ll instead damage over time.
Also, as an added perk, there won’t be an XP penalty anymore for getting kills while in the Mako, so feel free to murder all the things without feeling compelled to get out.
3. Improving Mass Effect 1’s Gameplay
Gameplay Changes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
While on the topic of Mass Effect 1, in addition to the game just looking a whole lot prettier with it getting the most attention from the developers working on the Legendary Edition, it will also get love on the combat side of things.
No, Mass Effect 1’s unique-feeling combat isn’t getting replaced by something that resembles the more modern games in the series. It’s still going to play like the original. However, there are going to be some changes that you will likely notice, and that BioWare is hoping you will enjoy.
Aiming down sights (ADS) is going to be more accurate according to BioWare. The camera will be tighter now when you ADS and there will be stronger aim assist than in the original version of the game. Weapon sway and reticle bloom that occurs when you fire for a longer period of time have both been tuned down as well so you can lay on the trigger a bit more before overheating and/or losing complete control of your weapon’s aim. In addition, all weapons will cool down faster just in general.
There will be some rebalancing of the abilities as well. BioWare gave the example of Immunity which is now a short-term powerful defensive buff rather than a small long-term buff. Medi-gel can now be used more often and its perks when you level it up have been buffed up as well.
You’ll be able to sprint outside of combat now (thank goodness), Snipers won’t sway like crazy, and perhaps most important, all classes can use all weapons now. Certain classes will still be more proficient such as Shotguns being tied to Vanguards, but you can at least effectively use weapons from outside your class now.
While there will likely be some purists that are upset by these changes, from my perspective at least, they seem aimed at improving the quality of life of Mass Effect 1 without stripping it of its identity.
4. DLC Weapons Are Integrated Naturally Now
Gameplay Changes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Mass Effect 2 and 3 released during the “project ten dollar” era of gaming, where lots of content was stripped out of the game and re-packaged as bonus DLC either for people who paid for the game brand new, or just via traditional DLC. Throughout the trilogy, this included DLC weapons that were among the most powerful and fun to use in the entire game.
All of those DLC weapons, like all of the DLC, will be included as part of the Legendary Edition at no additional charge. However, the days of starting your Mass Effect 2 campaign out with the Geth Plasma Shotgun are over. These DLC weapons will be integrated into the games they came from and will need to be acquired like any other weapon in the game.
5. Character Creator is Unified Now
Gameplay Changes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Mass Effect’s character creator improved as the series went on, but that meant that your Shepard from Mass Effect 1 might not look exactly like your Shepard that makes it to Mass Effect 3. Those days are over now as well.
The character creator in all three games has been improved and will be uniform across each game in the Legendary Edition. This way if you want your Shepard to look exactly the same across all three games, you shouldn’t have any problem getting that done. You can also change it up at the start of each game if you choose, of course.
The character creator isn’t the only thing that’s getting fixed, it’s also worth noting that “hundreds” of bugs from the original releases will be squashed in the Legendary Edition. I don’t recall Mass Effect games being particularly extra buggy. There were bad moments, but by and large, it was fine. But now, hopefully, it will be even better.
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