Mass Effect Legendary Edition Reportedly Releasing In March

[Tsing]

Image: BioWare



BioWare previously teased that Mass Effect Legendary Edition would be released in Spring 2021. Despite alleged difficulties with updating the original to modern standards, it appears that the remastered collection will be arriving on schedule based on advertisements and listings for the PS4 version spotted by Twitter user Idle Slot, which show a March 12, 2021 release date.



(Leaked) Mass Effect Legendary Edition will be released on March 12th Source...

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[LazyGamer]

 

[Dan_D]

Let's hope.

 

[MadMummy76]

After the crap remasters of C&C and Mafia last year I'm keeping my distance.

 

[Armenius]

After the crap remasters of C&C and Mafia last year I'm keeping my distance.

C&C was very well received. What about it makes you think it's "crap?"

Mafia wasn't made by EA.

We have not even seen anything at all from this remaster, yet. All we've had so far are small pieces of information.

 

[Brian_B]

The WC3 remaster was probably the worst culprit, and that was Blizzard/Activision. Crysis wasn't terribly well received initially either.

C&C did ok on release, if I recall. I'm struggling to come up with many more recent ones though, to be honest. Demon Souls on PS5? FF8 on PS4? Halo MC Collection on XBSX? Not really much on PC though, although maybe to be expected with new console releases.

 

[MadMummy76]

C&C was very well received. What about it makes you think it's "crap?"

It was a low effort cash-grab which I doubt cost more than a few hundred K to EA, it even had the original bugs of the game from 95. The only thing that changed was the graphics overhaul replacing the 640x400 art with higher resolution, maybe a few months worth of work for a talented 2D artist. That's the end of meaningful changes. They messed up audio mixing, so music sounds crap even the original tracks. The videos got no upgrade except sending it through a basic upscaler algorithm.
But it seems if people get a whiff of nostalgia they become like an upturned tortoise, completely helpless.

Besides there are plenty of "well received" games that I think are utter crap.

Mafia wasn't made by EA.

I didn't say it was, but it serves as a reminder how easy it is to mess up a remaster, even one that should be a slam dunk like Mafia. All it takes is someone in management deciding to make it "more in tune with the times" Yeah, a game set in 1930s needs to be upgraded to be in tune with 2020. LOL.

We have not even seen anything at all from this remaster, yet. All we've had so far are small pieces of information.

And that is exactly why I vote on the side of caution, and of course the experience with those two remakes.

 

[Armenius]

It was a low effort cash-grab which I doubt cost more than a few hundred K to EA, it even had the original bugs of the game from 95. The only thing that changed was the graphics overhaul replacing the 640x400 art with higher resolution, maybe a few months worth of work for a talented 2D artist. That's the end of meaningful changes. They messed up audio mixing, so music sounds crap even the original tracks. The videos got no upgrade except sending it through a basic upscaler algorithm.
But it seems if people get a whiff of nostalgia they become like an upturned tortoise, completely helpless.

Besides there are plenty of "well received" games that I think are utter crap.

"Original bugs"
They were kept at the suggestion of the hundreds of veteran players who gave active feedback during the development of the game. There have been other re-releases in the past where bugs have been fixed that were met with negative reaction due to how it altered the balance of the game.

"... graphics overhaul replacing the 640x400 art with higher resolution"
The art is a mixture of AI upscaled and completely recreated pieces. It took the outsourced art team nearly a year to create everything.

" They messed up audio mixing, so music sounds crap even the original tracks. "
Have never heard about this issue. Are people complaining about it?

"The videos got no upgrade except sending it through a basic upscaler algorithm."
The original videos were recorded to VHS, and had been sitting in dry storage for almost 20 years. There is only so much you can do with such a poor video source.

I suggest you watch this:

"Besides there are plenty of "well received" games that I think are utter crap."
Well poop, buddy, that's all you had to say! (poor attempt at family-friendly Pulp Fiction quote...)

 

[Dan_D]

I believe there was talk about the Mass Effect trilogy being ported to Frostbite, but that's about all we know about the remaster.

 

[Armenius]

I believe there was talk about the Mass Effect trilogy being ported to Frostbite, but that's about all we know about the remaster.

I'm no fan of UE3, but I don't think Frostbite will be any better. Andromeda looked and played well enough, though, so we'll see. I'm still anxious to see what the first game looks like now.

 

[LazyGamer]

I'm no fan of UE3, but I don't think Frostbite will be any better. Andromeda looked and played well enough, though, so we'll see. I'm still anxious to see what the first game looks like now.

The ME Trilogy brought up to the level of Andromeda is really all we can hope for, and honestly that's enough. Maybe functional DX12?

At least they got HDR right in Andromeda!

 

[MadMummy76]

"Original bugs"
They were kept at the suggestion of the hundreds of veteran players who gave active feedback during the development of the game. There have been other re-releases in the past where bugs have been fixed that were met with negative reaction due to how it altered the balance of the game.

I fail to see how fixing some of these bugs alter the balance of the game. Bugs != exploits. I'm not saying they should remove the known exploits.

But in truth a worthy remaster would've been porting the games to at least generals engine and completely re-working the balance. Of course that would have actual development costs. But the fact that even the bugs remain in was the tipping point for me. I doubt improving the pathfinding algorithm so you don't have to micro manage every bridge crossing would've changed the balance either.

"... graphics overhaul replacing the 640x400 art with higher resolution"

The art is a mixture of AI upscaled and completely recreated pieces. It took the outsourced art team nearly a year to create everything.

And? I'm waiting for a point. It must have been a huge art team if it took them a year to create a few dozen sprites and map backgrounds.

" They messed up audio mixing, so music sounds crap even the original tracks. "
Have never heard about this issue. Are people complaining about it?

The new music just sounds outright awful, and the old tracks sound sterile, like they were sent through some filters. I doubt anyone would notice without audiophile tendencies, but to me it sounds bad. This is the least of the problems though, I'd have let this pass if this was my only disappointment.

"The videos got no upgrade except sending it through a basic upscaler algorithm."

The original videos were recorded to VHS, and had been sitting in dry storage for almost 20 years. There is only so much you can do with such a poor video source.

Well the included behind the scenes and raw greenscreen footage contradict that. As they are of a much higher quality than the included "re-mastered" in game cinematics. Which means they didn't even bother to go back to the VHS source, they just upscaled the overcompressed footage directly from the old game.

"Besides there are plenty of "well received" games that I think are utter crap."
Well poop, buddy, that's all you had to say! (poor attempt at family-friendly Pulp Fiction quote...)

That doesn't mean I'm wrong about my criticism, just because everyone else is too in awe of nostalgia to notice.

 

[Dan_D]

I'm no fan of UE3, but I don't think Frostbite will be any better. Andromeda looked and played well enough, though, so we'll see. I'm still anxious to see what the first game looks like now.

The only good thing about using Frostbite is that they have several assets from Andromeda rendered that could be used for the trilogy remaster. The other good news is that it would or should make for a substantial visual upgrade. That is, assuming the rumor is true in the first place.

 

[Burticus]

Maybe at $10. I have already paid full price for all these games already.