Mass Effect - Legendary Edition (Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster) Announced

[ati87]

Sure, as I said in and of itself it's a great send-off but... I dunno, partying after Thessia or Sanctuary, while the rest of the Citadel is full of grieving people and stacked refugees feels so out of place to me, as does the seemingly normal life in the parts of the Citadel you visit in the DLC. The main game does insist on the fact that people on the station are somewhat sheltered but still.

Anyway, I finished the Omega DLC, the one I never bought previously, and it was pretty good, save for some jankier than usual animations in place. I know people generally consider it ME3's weaker DLC and I can understand that, but IMO it's still better than any in ME2 save LOTSB. The Rampart mechs are fun to fight, Aria is a riot to be around, and Omega's top-notch atmosphere is identical to ME2's.

ME3 really is a great game. It plays well, the vast majority of the writing is good, the RPG systems are simple but effective. It's such a damn shame about the rest of the writing and the atrocious ending. Fix those things and the game's a masterpiece.

Just started ME3 and what I remember from my OG playthrough and this time is that I didn't really like how Bioware handled the questing in ME3 compared to ME2. However I can appreciatie the combat more which compared to ME2 is allot more fun.

I'm kind of hoping that Bioware goes for a true remake, building the game from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 and goes for a single experience and while they are at it update the ending to make it a true accumulation of choices.

[zealo]

Just started ME3 and what I remember from my OG playthrough and this time is that I didn't really like how Bioware handled the questing in ME3 compared to ME2. However I can appreciatie the combat more which compared to ME2 is allot more fun.

I'm kind of hoping that Bioware goes for a true remake, building the game from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 and goes for a single experience and while they are at it update the ending to make it a true accumulation of choices.

Trying to remake ME3 would be an exercise in futility.

They should just pick one ending as canon for the next game, and then work from that to build a sequel without the baggage of the implications of the other 3 being possible, however controversial whichever one gets picked is.

It's good enough that the series is playable on modern consoles, they need to look forward next rather than trying a more fundamental do-over than a remaster because of mistakes from 10+ years ago.

[Zaktar]

Just started ME3 and what I remember from my OG playthrough and this time is that I didn't really like how Bioware handled the questing in ME3 compared to ME2. However I can appreciatie the combat more which compared to ME2 is allot more fun.

I'm kind of hoping that Bioware goes for a true remake, building the game from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 and goes for a single experience and while they are at it update the ending to make it a true accumulation of choices.

They could have done more pretty easily, to me one of the main things it's missing is a sense of how the characters and world plays out. Throwing in some little narration tidbits or the classic blocks of text that vary based on your choices would help tie things up a bit better. What you get is so meager.

[Jastall]

Trying to remake ME3 would be an exercise in futility.

They should just pick one ending as canon for the next game, and then work from that to build a sequel without the baggage of the implications of the other 3 being possible, however controversial whichever one gets picked is.

It's good enough that the series is playable on modern consoles, they need to look forward next rather than trying a more fundamental do-over than a remaster because of mistakes from 10+ years ago.

100% agreed. It's too late to go back and entirely redo ME3; the damage is done and no redemption lies this way. They should just make Destroy canon, if only because it has the most potential for interesting plots and conflicts; the trials and tribulations of a rebuilding galaxy, with issues like for example the resurgent Krogans or the broken power of the Council races, allows for far more intricate conflicts than God-Emperor Shepard watching over everyone with their invincible Reaper army or everyone being brainwashed into loving each other forevermore in Synthesis.

[Zaktar]

100% agreed. It's too late to go back and entirely redo ME3; the damage is done and no redemption lies this way. They should just make Destroy canon, if only because it has the most potential for interesting plots and conflicts; the trials and tribulations of a rebuilding galaxy, with issues like for example the resurgent Krogans or the broken power of the Council races, allows for far more intricate conflicts than God-Emperor Shepard watching over everyone with their invincible Reaper army or everyone being brainwashed into loving each other forevermore in Synthesis.

It's hard for me to understand why a Shepard who has been through Mass Effect would choose anything other than destroy. After seeing every single attempt to cooperate or control the reapers end in indoctrination, what would make her think that either of those options would work? Maybe technically in the setting they would, but given that it's the intelligence behind the reapers pitching the idea, how can you trust it? "Yeah you could totally integrate with me/control me, this will work out much better for you than it did for Benezia and Saren." The synthesis option makes me picture a galaxy of husks.

Maybe they'll Deus Ex Invisible War it and choose all endings... but agreed that Destroy seems like the only real choice for the setting moving forward. Though they should/probably will hold on to some synthetic intelligences, like I bet somehow a remnant of the Geth survived and will be an ongoing problem, maybe we'll get something with EDI's memories but not her personality, etc.

[Elim Garak]

It's hard for me to understand why a Shepard who has been through Mass Effect would choose anything other than destroy..

Even by the options, AI provides:
1. Die
2. Die
3. Destroy reapers and all synthetics, some of your implants get damaged.

There's no guarantee that after your die in 1 you get to control reapers, there's also no guarantee that after you die in 2 that everyone gets green.
So for all intents and purposes, you just die like an idiot.

[Jastall]

It's hard for me to understand why a Shepard who has been through Mass Effect would choose anything other than destroy. After seeing every single attempt to cooperate or control the reapers end in indoctrination, what would make her think that either of those options would work? Maybe technically in the setting they would, but given that it's the intelligence behind the reapers pitching the idea, how can you trust it? "Yeah you could totally integrate with me/control me, this will work out much better for you than it did for Benezia and Saren." The synthesis option makes me picture a galaxy of husks.

Maybe they'll Deus Ex Invisible War it and choose all endings... but agreed that Destroy seems like the only real choice for the setting moving forward. Though they should/probably will hold on to some synthetic intelligences, like I bet somehow a remnant of the Geth survived and will be an ongoing problem, maybe we'll get something with EDI's memories but not her personality, etc.

Even if they merge the 3 main endings somehow, there's still a lot more existing variables. For example the Krogans, Geth, Quarians, Hanar, Drell and Rachni could all be extinct or on their way to be depending on your decisions in the trilogy, and some of those are important races that a Mass Effect game would feel less Mass Effect without. There's a reason the next game took place in literally another galaxy, it was the only way to ignore the far-reaching consequences of ME3. But if they're to make another game, then they absolutely have to pick a canon and say, sorry not sorry but this is it

And yeah, all of my Shepards save one chose Destroy. The one who didn't was a full Renegade sort of Control freak who thought he had everything figured out. Nobody took Synthesis, I did it once to see what would happen but fuck if I'll let any of my characters think that abomination of an ending is the best possible choice. Even the ultra Paragon type who thought all life, synthetic and organic, must be cherished and preserved wasn't about to force feed her beliefs to an entire galaxy in such a brutal way.

[Zaktar]

Even if they merge the 3 main endings somehow, there's still a lot more existing variables. For example the Krogans, Geth, Quarians, Hanar, Drell and Rachni could all be extinct or on their way to be depending on your decisions in the trilogy, and some of those are important races that a Mass Effect game would feel less Mass Effect without. There's a reason the next game took place in literally another galaxy, it was the only way to ignore the far-reaching consequences of ME3. But if they're to make another game, then they absolutely have to pick a canon and say, sorry not sorry but this is it

And yeah, all of my Shepards save one chose Destroy. The one who didn't was a full Renegade sort of Control freak who thought he had everything figured out. Nobody took Synthesis, I did it once to see what would happen but fuck if I'll let any of my characters think that abomination of an ending is the best possible choice. Even the ultra Paragon type who thought all life, synthetic and organic, must be cherished and preserved wasn't about to force feed her beliefs to an entire galaxy in such a brutal way.

Yeah my expectation is that they'll pick a set of choices and go with it, maybe at most allow for a paragon and renegade version of the first 3 games to serve as backstory, probably not even that. They could devote their resources to fully integrating it so all your choices continue to matter - I guess after the success of Legendary that might even make more sense given how many more people will have save files to work with - but that sounds like a nightmare to develop.

[Jastall]

Yeah my expectation is that they'll pick a set of choices and go with it, maybe at most allow for a paragon and renegade version of the first 3 games to serve as backstory, probably not even that. They could devote their resources to fully integrating it so all your choices continue to matter - I guess after the success of Legendary that might even make more sense given how many more people will have save files to work with - but that sounds like a nightmare to develop.

There's absolutely no way they could do that IMO. The weight of previous decisions already taxed them in ME3, what with all the potentially dead characters they had to replace or weren't replaced leaing a hole, and sometimes they already ignored choices for the purpose of the narrative (for example pulling a new Rachni queen out of nowhere if you killed the one in ME1). Trying to make a ME4 that accounts for three endings, up to 5-6 species even existing or not, and countless other, smaller choices such as if you romanced Liara (who by the teaser I assume will play a role), let the Council die, destroyed the Collector base, did Urdnot Bakara live, so on and so forth. As Mordin would say, too many variables. Far too many. IMO it wouldn't even be worth it anyway. The original trilogy was one thing, let the subsequent game(s) be their own.

As an aside, does anyone have a ME1 Paragon female save to share? I know there are dedicated file sharing sites but seemingly none for Legendary Edition and I'd really like to skip ME1 on my next character. Exact decisions don't matter that much so long as Wrex is alive and the Council was saved, I'd preferred a live Kaidan but it's not that important, romance doesn't matter as she'll calibrate Garrus's gun, and class and appearance I can change to suit me.

[Selastan]

Yeah, only way I can see a Milky Way sequel happening is if the ending is all in Shepard's head. Whether or not you believe Indocrination Theory or not, things got trippy up there. Could be the Catalyst just projecting the consequences of Shephard's actions into their head, or just a dream after getting knocked out, or even the cybernetics in their brain getting fried.

Not saying that's what happened, but it would be the easiest retcon in the world to make, should they do ME 4 in the Milky Way. They essentially made a get-out-of-jail-free card by writing the ending in the way they did, while still making it a definitive one should they have decided to end the series there. It's sort of like what Blizzard did with Sargeras. For all intents and purposes, he is gone. But if they want him back, they left a way for him to return.

[Elim Garak]

As an aside, does anyone have a ME1 Paragon female save to share? I know there are dedicated file sharing sites but seemingly none for Legendary Edition and I'd really like to skip ME1 on my next character. Exact decisions don't matter that much so long as Wrex is alive and the Council was saved, I'd preferred a live Kaidan but it's not that important, romance doesn't matter as she'll calibrate Garrus's gun, and class and appearance I can change to suit me.

You can start in ME2 with a new character and use the Genesis DLC that allows you to set up major decisions in ME1, no need for a save.

[Gorsameth]

Yeah, only way I can see a Milky Way sequel happening is if the ending is all in Shepard's head. Whether or not you believe Indocrination Theory or not, things got trippy up there. Could be the Catalyst just projecting the consequences of Shephard's actions into their head, or just a dream after getting knocked out, or even the cybernetics in their brain getting fried.

Not saying that's what happened, but it would be the easiest retcon in the world to make, should they do ME 4 in the Milky Way. They essentially made a get-out-of-jail-free card by writing the ending in the way they did, while still making it a definitive one should they have decided to end the series there. It's sort of like what Blizzard did with Sargeras. For all intents and purposes, he is gone. But if they want him back, they left a way for him to return.

I wouldn't even really call it a retcon considering Destroy ends with shepard waking up in the rubble on earth.

[hellhamster]

At first I was a peon getting one shotted by goddamn butterflies on Insanity as a Vanguard, but after leveling up Barrier:

[jcf190]

I just finished my ME1 playthrough as a Paragon. Man I was really torn on the Council at the end though. They just always rub me the wrong way, especially when they disregard everything Shepard says constantly. Even trying to put myself in their shoes as representing the greater interest of the galaxy...I might just go Renegade when I'm dealing with them from now on.

[hellhamster]

OK I just saw Garrus almost oneshot a Geth Prime on Ilos on Insanity with a Specter Sniper Rifle X.

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe I'll go Infiltrator for the next game. Or maybe Garrus is just OP.

I just finished my ME1 playthrough as a Paragon. Man I was really torn on the Council at the end though. They just always rub me the wrong way, especially when they disregard everything Shepard says constantly. Even trying to put myself in their shoes as representing the greater interest of the galaxy...I might just go Renegade when I'm dealing with them from now on.

It's the hypothesis "Would you save your own boss?"

[Traveler Voltin]

OK I just saw Garrus almost oneshot a Geth Prime on Ilos on Insanity with a Specter Sniper Rifle X.

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe I'll go Infiltrator for the next game. Or maybe Garrus is just OP.



It's the hypothesis "Would you save your own boss?"

Garrus might be slightly OP.

[Jastall]

Garrus is powerful in every game. In ME1 his sniper rifle damage can't be compared, in ME2/3 he has has powers to every defense type and high enough weapon damage to actually contribute if you give him the good stuff like Incisor in ME2 or Krysae/Javelin in ME3.

Then again he's just following Infiltrator Shepard's tendencies, it's arguably the most powerful build in ME2/3, you can't move or regen health as fast as Vanguard but who cares when you can put out so much damage downrange?

[Easo]

Garrus Ascended video, anyone? Assault rifle on him kills Atlas before it finishes deploying. I managed to run into issue where dialogue is skipped because the enemies were already dead.

[Lahis]

OK I just saw Garrus almost oneshot a Geth Prime on Ilos on Insanity with a Specter Sniper Rifle X.

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe I'll go Infiltrator for the next game. Or maybe Garrus is just OP.

[Selastan]

Mass Effect from Shep's point of view: Choices matter RPG with tactical combat.

Mass Effect from Garrus' point of view: First person shooter power fantasy.