When thinking of the Mass Effect franchise and what makes it so iconic, several things come to mind. From the terrifying Reapers to in-depth romances and the original trilogy’s strong protagonist, there is plenty to love about Bioware’s SciFi RPG series. However, all these iconic features are tied to the singleplayer offerings of Mass Effect, with the co-op survival multiplayer of Mass Effect 3 being largely forgotten. As such, the confirmation that Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer will not be included in the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is hardly a surprise.
While a small minority of fans will likely be disappointed by this Mass Effect: Legendary Edition news, most should be indifferent to the announcement. In fact, there are several reasons to view the news as a good thing, as leaving the mode out of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition could actually improve the remasters in significant ways. Much like with Metal Gear Solid or Uncharted, multiplayer was never integral to the Mass Effect experience and was simply a bonus whenever it was included — and this is no different with the remasters.
The first positive that comes from the lack of a Mass Effect 3 multiplayer remaster is that fans of the original mode will not have to deal with the disappointment that could come from a failed update. When Bioware explained the reasoning for a lack of multiplayer, one of the major points made was just how much the team was struggling with the concept of bringing the mode back. Built on dated online systems, much of the code was gone, and Bioware would have had to build the mode from scratch. Further, with questions like cross-play and post-launch support coming up, such a project was simply too much of an undertaking for the small team.
While Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer became somewhat of a cult classic for Bioware fans, its community was extremely small even at its peak, meaning that the only people that played the mode for an extended period were its hardcore fans. With Bioware itself unsure of whether it could remaster Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer and have it remain at the same level of quality, those that truly loved the mode could have been let down by seeing it remade poorly. While Mass Effect 3’s co-op is outdated visually, it is still playable, and those that love it can go to Mass Effect Andromeda for a more modernized version — which would likely still look and perform better even if Mass Effect 3’s online play got an upgrade.
While multiplayer fans may have ultimately been disappointed by a co-op remaster in Mass Effect 3, some surely would have liked an attempt to be made. However, for those that only care about Mass Effect 3 for its singleplayer story, this is great news. The third Mass Effect game boasts one of the most controversial endings in gaming, and getting the best variant of it forced singleplayer fans to play online. In Mass Effect 3, ending quality was determined by effective military strength. Raised based on story decisions and the completion of multiplayer activities, the feature essentially required Mass Effect fans to play multiplayer whether they wanted to or not.
While the Military Strength concept was interesting and fit the overall narrative, the idea that singleplayer fans could be punished with the deaths of their favorite Mass Effect companions for not playing online was a major problem. However, by not having multiplayer, fans will be able to achieve the best ending in Mass Effect 3 without playing online. While some players never took issue with the old system, many more did, and the lack of multiplayer can be considered a good decision for this reason. While the multiplayer mode was solid and had a small but loyal following, it was used in a bad way, and removing it instantly eliminates the frustrations it caused for singleplayer fans.
However, removing an unpopular requirement from Mass Effect 3 is hardly the only positive thing that comes from this decision, as dropping multiplayer allows Bioware to focus on what really matters to most of the Mass Effect fanbase. As mentioned in the explanation for the lack of multiplayer, Bioware states that adding online play would have pushed back the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition release date, something that most players would have been disappointed by. Beyond that, though, Bioware was able to use the resources that would have been spent on multiplayer to improve the original Mass Effect game — and based on what has been said thus far, this was the right call.
Widely regarded as Mass Effect’s weak link, the original game has become dated over the years. While its story remained strong, its gameplay showed signs of age — though Bioware seems to be fixing this with the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. The cumbersome Mako vehicle, for example, has seen its physics changed to remove its bounciness with a speed boost also added for movement. Auto saves will be fixed as well, occurring more often than they once did, and the game’s many elevator rides have been shortened to remove the awkwardness.
These changes are just the tip of the iceberg, however, as Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is improving the gameplay of Mass Effect in even bigger ways. A dedicated melee button and improved camera systems have been added, while aiming and cover now function more like the game’s more popular sequels. Beyond that, certain boss fights have been redesigned and both friendly and enemy AI has been improved. When coupled with the huge visual improvements, it seems like the first Mass Effect will be a far more enjoyable experience after this remaster.
With Bioware even adding a universal character creator to the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, there are significant improvements being made to the beloved games, with the collection shaping up to be a great bit of nostalgia for some and an excellent jumping off point for others. Making the original Mass Effect game a worthwhile entry in the series as opposed to a bland barrier to entry for an excellent series is worth the cost of having no multiplayer. With the choice being between meaningful improvements to the iconic stories of the games or the return of a multiplayer mode that few fans ever played, the right option seems obvious. Though the decision to leave multiplayer on the cutting room for may initially sound disappointing, the result could help Bioware make the best possible version of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition launches May 14 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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