Yesterday, it was announced that the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will launch on May 14. The Legendary Edition will include over 40 pieces of DLC and all three games, remastered and optimized for the current generation. It will release on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, with the possibility of coming out for the Nintendo Switch. With that being said, the Mass Effect Trilogy is the greatest gaming trilogy of all-time. Despite some misgivings about the ending, Mass Effect was a completely original concept and had exquisite gameplay, an excellent story, engaging lore, and some of the best characters gaming has to offer. Bioware was always a top-notch developer, but Mass Effect is where they truly made a name for themselves. Sure, Knights of the Old Republic was great, but this was a series they built from the ground-up. Mass Effect was a gaming phenomenon, and the trilogy is about to reach a brand new generation of gamers. It couldn’t come at a better time.
The Mass Effect Trilogy has such an engaging story. By taking on the role of Commander Shepard and making decisions that shape your experience, every playthrough can be radically different. The Renegade/Paragon system was revolutionary. Not every choice is black and white; so much of it is gray, and that is the beauty of it. And those decisions weigh on you, and in turn, Commander Shepard. This is especially obvious by the time you get to Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect is not only engrossing, but immersive. Each choice has consequences. We have to remember, the original Mass Effect came out in 2007; Mass Effect 2 came out in 2010, and Mass Effect 3 came out in 2012. While these games came out over the course of five years, they were still wildly successful. They proved that episodic gaming could work. The series got better and better with each installment. The supporting characters and NPCs were memorable and each had something unique to offer the series. Choices you made in the first game affected the third. While there were limitations on how far the choices could go in terms of how the story branched, the experience was never impacted. It still felt like your story, and that’s what sets Mass Effect apart from so other Western RPGs where you make choices. Mass Effect is more immersive. The lore and the story are superior and the characters have depth.
The Mass Effect trilogy revolutionized Western RPGs. It proved not only that episodic gaming could work, but it set the precedent of crafting your own story around the choices you make throughout your journey. It’s engrossing, it’s immersive, and it’s one of, if not the best experiences gaming has to offer, because it is just that; an experience. It’s more than just a video game. You literally feel like you are Commander Shepard, and that is a very rare level of immersion. Once you get to the third game, you feel the impact of the choices you make on an emotional level. There’s never been a gaming experience like it, and there may never be one like it again. It’s only fitting that 14 years after the original game’s release,
Mass Effect is being given a facelift and being polished in the form of the Legendary Edition. We don’t know exactly what changes will be made, but if there are any, they will no doubt enhance the experience. While the ending in Mass Effect 3 met with some criticism (although I found it to be excellent), it’s not the ending that matters; it’s the journey to get there that truly matters. That’s what Mass Effect is all about and why it is the greatest gaming trilogy of all-time. Its legacy is felt, even today. I can’t emphasize enough how good the characters are and the character development is in these games. Each character has an interesting, engaging arc, including the Commander. And now, finally, Commander Shepard is back. It couldn’t happen at a better time, and hopefully, a brand new generation of gamers can appreciate the Mass Effect Trilogy the way those who experienced it upon release do.