The May launch of Mass Effect Legendary Edition was generally well-received but had plenty of rough edges. Players first had to download a massive day-one patch, and then a second update on May 17, cleaning up what is ostensibly an overhaul of old games dating back to 2007. The June 7 1.03 update is markedly less dramatic, but nevertheless a must-have – especially for Xbox owners.
The Legendary Edition is more than just a graphical remaster. It wraps all three original Mass Effect games within a unified shell, implementing various improvements, such as more consistent combat and character creation systems. It incorporates most of the trilogy’s DLC, yet actually strips out multiplayer for Mass Effect 3, a decision made to focus work on the core single-player experience. There are even some minor story and character tweaks – Miranda Lawson, for example, has had some oddly sexualized camera angles reframed for a few sequences.
The most significant change in 1.03 – identified by BioWare’s patch notes – is the final resolution of problems with wireless devices and the Xbox launcher. The original release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition would crash or freeze on an Xbox Series X when using a wireless headset. While the May 17 patch mitigated this issue somewhat, it could still be triggered by enabling or disabling accessories within the launcher. Headsets should now finally work smoothly throughout.
Mass Effect Beyond The Xbox
PC players are being promised improved performance, and should no longer have trouble booting the game if they have non-standard characters in their OS username. All platforms should meanwhile be clear from problems with achievement tracking or darkened video in cutscenes. Some eliminated bugs are specific to each Mass Effect title – in the first game, for example, BioWare has solved issues with leveling and unobtainable VII Spectre Master Gear, as well as the volume being too loud in mass relay load screens. Disappearing characters within Mass Effect 3’s Citadel DLC should now stay put.
Lastly, there are a pair of positive improvements. English dialogue can now be selected separately from subtitles – a substantial improvement allowing non-native speakers to hear the original voice acting, a frequent demand from gamers who may not like the actors in their localization (or who might use the games to study English). BioWare has also slashed the maximum credits carriable into Mass Effect 2 to 100,000, matching the original release and making things more challenging.
It remains to be seen if Mass Effect Legendary Edition will get any further updates. BioWare hasn’t announced plans along those lines, and the game is reportedly stable and polished in its current state, though some fans may still be secretly hoping for a future return of the series multiplayer component.
