OS Neutral Mass Effect: Legendary Edition 2024

[Huntn]

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition​

I bought the Legendary edition a couple of years ago on sale. Way back when 2008ish, I played the Original Game. I don't remember a lot about it, but somehow remember it being a good game, good story. Now, I installed all 100gb of it and am now starting the story. I fought through the first encounter with the "bad" guy and am now back at Citadel. I can definitely see some of the dated game mechanics, a character who has no expressions, just a moving mouth, and I'm wondering if this is something I should bother with?

I figure most of the feelings out there are fond from ancient game experiences, but thought I'd ask, does this game have any features or story elements that make it worth playing in 2025? This edition includes the first 3 games and a bunch of DLCs.
Any thoughts to volunteer? I'm not scared of spoilers. Thanks!

Just Sayin’: Why ‘Mass Effect’ Is Worth Your Time in 2024

A personal review and critique of the 2007 hit.

medium.com

 

[Regulus67]

View attachment 2466893
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition​

I bought this th Legendary edition a couple of years ago on sale. Way back when 2008ish, I played the Original Game. I don't remember a lot about it, but somehow remember it being a good game, good story.
...
I figure most of the feelings out there are fond from ancient game experiences, but thought I'd ask, does this game have any features or story elements that make it worth playing in 2025? This edition includes the first 3 games and a bunch of DLCs.

The Mass Effect is one of the best RPGs out there in my opinion. I played through all of the parts.
The storytelling is very good. And you get to make choices that changes the story, depending on who you decide to support, or go against.

I like to make choices in a game that favours what I consider the good side. And I was making decisions as to which side I fought for, in several instances.

I played on playstation. And the game mechanics changed over each new part.
Like scanning for planetary resources, or hacking doors or boxes. I liked some mechanical version better than others, but it also gives a different experience. So as one adapts to the changes, it is ok.
...

I didn't like Dragon Age II at first, coming form the original. And I still consider the first game the best.
Dragon Age Inquisition was also good. The games changed a lot in the mechanics.
But I will never play the Dragon Age Veil Guard. Even if I have been looking forward to it. To "modern" for my taste.
...

Yes, I would recommend the Mass Effect games 👍 A game has to offer more than just great graphics and mechanics.
Case in point. The best game I ever played was The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series. The first game has a story that really had an impact on me.

 

[Huntn]

@Regulus67 thank you! I started the game as Fem Shepard, and I’m looking at Mods that remove gender restrictions on romantic relationships. The goal is a relationship with Ashley Williams whom is met on the first mission on Eden Prime. ☺️

I was vested The Walking Dead Graphic Novels for a period of time until I burned out on the TV Show.

 

[coffeemilktea]

thought I'd ask, does this game have any features or story elements that make it worth playing in 2025?

The best part about the Legendary Edition is that, at least on PC, it's easy to deal with save files. In the original games, it was a bit of a hassle to import save files (like importing Mass Effect 1 save files to ME2, etc). It wasn't an issue on console, but on the PC... it wasn't a fun time. 😅

As for the other features, like upscaled textures, support for 4K displays, etc... those are nice, but the games aren't really all that different otherwise. It might be worth it to play just so you can remember the story; it had pretty decent writing by late 2000s standards.

 

[Regulus67]

... I started the game as Fem Shepard, ...

I always play games as a male character, if I can choose. I'm not sure if I tried to pursue any romantic in the first game.
Perhaps with Dr. Liara T'Soni.
I did like Miranda Lawson a lot, though. In the later games

 

[Huntn]

I read up on mods, not convinced those provide continuity in relationships across chapters and decided it was easier to to play Man Shepard and go after Ms Williams who has already given me encouraging looks. ☺️

 

[MiniApple]

Enjoy the Trilogy!
Still one of my all time favorite games.
Initially played it the OG on PlayStation, then Xbox, then PC, first disc based, then digital, then the remaster.

Even if you intend it to play it vanilla on PC:

• make sure you install all 3 community patches for each individual game from nexusmods. They fix a lot of leftover bugs and other stuff they broke while doing the remaster.
• Also download the Pinnacle Station DLC for the 1st game, Bioware lost the source files and thus couldn't include it in the remaster, but fans brought it back with a mod.

I can highly recommend additional play troughs with lots of mods (nexusmods)

also, the picture in your post is from Mass Effect Andromeda - basically a spinoff.

 

[Huntn]

Enjoy the Trilogy!
Still one of my all time favorite games.
Initially played it the OG on PlayStation, then Xbox, then PC, first disc based, then digital, then the remaster.

Even if you intend it to play it vanilla on PC:

• make sure you install all 3 community patches for each individual game from nexusmods. They fix a lot of leftover bugs and other stuff they broke while doing the remaster.
• Also download the Pinnacle Station DLC for the 1st game, Bioware lost the source files and thus couldn't include it in the remaster, but fans brought it back with a mod.

I can highly recommend additional play troughs with lots of mods (nexusmods)

also, the picture in your post is from Mass Effect Andromeda - basically a spinoff.

Thank you! I’ll look into this. Hopefully these mods do not require a fresh start/playthrough.

 

[Huntn]

Sadly, I’m finding Mass Effect to be too dated for my tastes or maybe I’ve changed, evolved, and need more to be entertained. Maybe I should jump to the third game, Mass Effect 3, but I suspect it will be the same, but possibly not? Or maybe I should just stick to the main quest line? I found the sentient queen bug who asked for consideration to be interesting, a possible future plot point, but the routine activities, land on a planet, drive to a destination in your armed vehicle, fight bad guys, rinse, wash repeat has gotten old.

As a comparison, having just completed Starfield, the mechanisms are practically the same but, Starfield benefits from better graphics, somewhat better dialogue, yet I was also disappointed with it because Starfield’s plot was weak IMO (as I described in that thread) and it too, it’s dialog mechanisms and NPC relationships are dated, and dissapointing. I think an argument can be made, that I, the player am expecting more to be immersed and entertained? 🤔

 

[salamanderjuice]

Sadly, I’m finding Mass Effect to be too dated for my tastes or maybe I’ve changed, evolved, and need more to be entertained. Maybe I should jump to the third game, Mass Effect 3, but I suspect it will be the same, but possibly not? Or maybe I should just stick to the main quest line? I found the sentient queen bug who asked for consideration to be interesting, a possible future plot point, but the routine activities, land on a planet, drive to a destination in your armed vehicle, fight bad guys, rinse, wash repeat has gotten old.

As a comparison, having just completed Starfield, the mechanisms are practically the same but, Starfield benefits from better graphics, somewhat better dialogue, yet I was also disappointed with it because Starfield’s plot was weak IMO (as I described in that thread) and it too, it’s dialog mechanisms and NPC relationships are dated, and dissapointing. I think an argument can be made, that I, the player am expecting more to be immersed and entertained? 🤔

Mass Effect 1 is very different from 2 and 3. They gutted a lot of the RPG elements, simplified the inventory, removed the rover stuff and made them way more combatty. Whether that's better or worse is up to you. I would stick to main quest, choices in the earlier games can influence ones in the later games which IMO is more enjoyable if you actually made them.

 

[Huntn]

Mass Effect 1 is very different from 2 and 3. They gutted a lot of the RPG elements, simplified the inventory, removed the rover stuff and made them way more combatty. Whether that's better or worse is up to you. I would stick to main quest, choices in the earlier games can influence ones in the later games which IMO is more enjoyable if you actually made them.

Thanks. I already let the bug go. My inclination was to kill it, because I have a serious bug prejudice, that has been ingrained into my psyche. Starships troopers did a serious number on me , but then I did some reading and decided that letting it live would be better or at least better/ more interesting, if I made it to the other chapters.

As far as just sticking to the main quest chain, I'm worried because with other recent games, you need to do the side stuff to get really competitive via XP.

 

[MiniApple]

Lol. Totally get you.

If you are worried about XP and stuff and still just want to focus on the main game story lines without the side quests there is a PC save game modify tool.

You can maximize the XP (to 60 I think that's the max) and other stuff (Paragon, Renegade, Skills Points), even with an initial save from the beginning of a game.
Just make sure you make a copy of the save game file before you modify it, so you have a backup if you mess something up.

Be warned, it does contain spoilers for the corresponding game if you go to mission, squad mate tabs etc., so best is just to stick to the first tab of your Shepard character where the XP, skills and such are.

Takes you about 2 minutes.
Have fun