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BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
I think OwlCat can pull it off with their the Expanse game. Larian and Owlcat basically replaced Obsidian and Bioware who are both washed up IMO.
Mass Effect Trilogy is incredible though. Also Bioware managed to ship the Dragon Age trilogy and a whole bunch of other projects during the same gen. It's actually insane how productive they were back then. Now you are lucky to get 2 games from the same devs in a decade.
Luipadre
Member
Yeah im really looking forward to that, but they went radio silent since reveal. Dunno if its a 2026 title or not, most likely no
Sand Dan Glokta
Member
One of the very few games where I couldn't care less about how bad the ending was; it was about the journey, not the destination. And what a journey it is.
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DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Right there with you. Mass Effect is my favorite of the series and it was a downhill ride from there as they moved farther and farther from their roots. Still good games, just the wrong direction for me personally.
Not_A-Cop_Maybe
Member
if you have to ask-- it probably cant play it
its a decade + game that available on better platforms (performance wise) - does yet another remaster/port of another old game need to happen?
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Definitely. I wish everything was on Switch. I would buy it on cart right now. Even digital download if it was 10 bucks or under. I just love Switch. Switch 2 could absolutely handle it though, it probably will get ported in the end.if you have to ask-- it probably cant play it
its a decade + game that available on better platforms (performance wise) - does yet another remaster/port of another old game need to happen?
Durin
Member
Still a strong series, with the 1st game being my favorite just for the better overall story + actually memorable villain.
I miss when Bioware made games like this DA: Origins, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Neverwinter Nights & Baldur's Gate 1-2. Better graphics in Veilguard have nothing on their older games.
I miss when Bioware made games like this DA: Origins, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Neverwinter Nights & Baldur's Gate 1-2. Better graphics in Veilguard have nothing on their older games.
violence
Member
I thought the ending was fine after the update. 3 is almost as good as 2 with all the DLC. ME1 I still try to get through as fast as possible. The main problem with the original ending in 3 is it was confusing in a bad way. They clearly ran out of time. The whining campaign I think did more harm than good. The co-founders "The Doctors" left after that and Bioware was never the same. Good job internet.
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SirKicksalot
Member
16 years later I'm still bummed about the clips and reloading introduced in ME2.
Reloading should have been a quick vent thing similar to Gears of War. Infinite ammo was awesome.
Reloading should have been a quick vent thing similar to Gears of War. Infinite ammo was awesome.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Better space more than Wars or Trek, too.
Synless
Member
The only hate it got was the ending. Otherwise it was loved far and beyond by the majority of people.
That's not nostalgia, it's a fact.
Between this and the Uncharted trilogy, we had it so good back then.
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balls of snow
Member
Having this on a handheld is what dreams are made of. I should probably do another run closer to ME4 release.
Alex11
Member
Pretty much agree with almost everything you wrote OP. It's one of my favourite series, I think I have at least 10 playthroughs on each of the 3 titles.
And I think ME2 is my favourite and IMO is not just one of the best sci-fi games ever, but one of the best games ever.
Even though it's stripped of RPG depth, I still view it as an action shooter RPG type. You still have character customization, squad management and plenty of impactful narrative choices.
And this trailer got me so hyped back then, especially at the end, the final 20 seconds or so, it still gives me chills.
And I think ME2 is my favourite and IMO is not just one of the best sci-fi games ever, but one of the best games ever.
Even though it's stripped of RPG depth, I still view it as an action shooter RPG type. You still have character customization, squad management and plenty of impactful narrative choices.
And this trailer got me so hyped back then, especially at the end, the final 20 seconds or so, it still gives me chills.
chromhound
Member
Maybe i should play ME 2 and ME 3 for the first... I played the first one so many times
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Whole collection is 8 bucks on PSN right now.
TintoConCasera
I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
The legendary edition is a great way of doing so. I played all 3 games in one go, with all the DLC and it was amazing.
ME1 is my favorite game of all time. I literally always have a playthrough of it going. When I start a full trilogy run I play through ME1 three times to max out Charm and Intimidate without using any of my points from leveling up.
I personally find ME 2 the weakest in the series. It's still an amazing game but feels disconnected from the overarching Reaper narrative.
I find ME3 to be underrated. The story beats are great and the game feels a bit like a hybrid between ME1 and ME2. And even though this wasn't mentioned I'm sad they never ported ME3 multi-player to modern consoles. I put 500 hours into it back in the day....and this was after saying I wouldn't touch it before launch. It was amazing.
I'm currently playing the trilogy with mods for the first time. I'm only at the first of the main missions after becoming a Spectre but the mods really freshen the experience up.
I personally find ME 2 the weakest in the series. It's still an amazing game but feels disconnected from the overarching Reaper narrative.
I find ME3 to be underrated. The story beats are great and the game feels a bit like a hybrid between ME1 and ME2. And even though this wasn't mentioned I'm sad they never ported ME3 multi-player to modern consoles. I put 500 hours into it back in the day....and this was after saying I wouldn't touch it before launch. It was amazing.
I'm currently playing the trilogy with mods for the first time. I'm only at the first of the main missions after becoming a Spectre but the mods really freshen the experience up.
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
I thought I had replayed the first game recently but it turns out it's already been 5 years since that replay. I might do another run through of the trilogy here shortly thanks to this thread.
violence
Member
They did a lot of work to them. Especially the first game. Pretty much mandatory if you want HDR. Also, they have it so certain DLC's don't pop up till later, which is better for the narrative.
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
I still have my original games and that's what I've always replayed, this time around I'm going to try the legendary edition.
Last time I replayed the first game I was tempted to do the legendary but I was told they changed a lot of things about the first game (my favorite) so I decided not to buy it. This time I will see for myself.
SoloCamo
Member
Sadly I've never played any of these and just realized I've had the Legendary addition in my EA store (think it was free at one point?)
Is there anything worse with the legendary addition that detracts from these games being great? I want to play the best version possible if I'm going to bother.
Is there anything worse with the legendary addition that detracts from these games being great? I want to play the best version possible if I'm going to bother.
Lokaum D+
Member
i coudnt care less about HDR, but i ll wait for a sale and give a try
SoloCamo
Member
While I would absolutely never buy from the Epic store it is currently 8.99 on it.
Lokaum D+
Member
do i need EA launcher ? if yes i ll just play the old games, its just not worth it
I can't speak for the Epic Store, but the steam version requires you to use the EA launcher so I'd assume Epic does too.
Bioware was at it's peak, they somehow turned losing Star Wars into Mass Effect. Which in itself would make a fanstastic movie series and stands on it's own.
It's that dam good from lore, story characters. Some of the wirting in Mass Effect and even some of the quest's story in SWTOR is just top notch. I'm not sure how we went from this level to what we have now in something like the recent Dragon Age. It's so depressing.
Legendary edition at it's sale prices is a criminal steal.
It's that dam good from lore, story characters. Some of the wirting in Mass Effect and even some of the quest's story in SWTOR is just top notch. I'm not sure how we went from this level to what we have now in something like the recent Dragon Age. It's so depressing.
Legendary edition at it's sale prices is a criminal steal.
Cyberpunkd
Member
Yes, it does. Shit thing being at least under Windows it will still install the stupid app, even if the whole connection happens automatically.
Hero_Select
Member
They don't and its such a goddamn bummer. I had over 500 hrs in the multiplayer
Boss Mog
Member
Glad you saw ME3 for what it was OP: A great game. Yeah they completely fucked up with the ultra short copy/paste endings, especially after having invested all that time across 3 games, but the hate they got for it went way too far, painting ME3 as a bad game, which it wasn't. The multiplayer in ME3 was also a pleasant surprise which I played a lot of at the time.
That being said ME2 is still my favorite in the series and one of the best games of that generation for me.
That being said ME2 is still my favorite in the series and one of the best games of that generation for me.
SkylineRKR
Member
ME3 is still very good in my book, it has the best controls of the trilogy and generally was a blast to play also online. Personally I think the ME trilogy is my fave gaming trilogy. It was always hard to make all those choices fruitful, and come with a perfect ending. For me its more about the journey in this case.
I wished Veilguard was half as good after dropping it 10 hours in, I mean seriously.
I wished Veilguard was half as good after dropping it 10 hours in, I mean seriously.
PlayStaytion
Member
You know the people who made it are really cool dudes. The same thing applies to every other great game.Contain major spoilers
Mass Effect 1:
I think Mass Effect 1 still holds up surprisingly well in 2026 and has certain particularities that make it incredibly endearing. It's got that raw, gritty space opera vibe that nothing else quite nails
The squadmates are the real hook. Wrex carrying all that Krogan baggage, Garrus raging against the Council bureaucracy, Tali being the ultimate tech gremlin, Liara geeking out over Prothean ruins... their loyalty missions hit hard and actually make you care.
Those bonds carry through the whole trilogy, and it's one of the strongest parts of the series.
Gameplay-wise, it's serviceable. Tactical pauses, talent trees, squad commands, it's all there but combat feels stiff. AI is braindead more often than not and sorting through that inventory hell is pure masochism. It's not transcendent as the combat feels a bit clunky.
The Mako tho? Yeah, I actually like driving that bouncy death machine around! Planetary exploration gives you a real sense of scale, even if half the time you're just bouncing off rocks.
That first episode lays all the foundations of the trilogy masterfully: moral choices that shape the story and carry over to sequels, Shepard customization and an universe that is incredibly rich, meticulously crafted with a rare coherence that makes ME1 an unmatched SF experience even by today's standards.
The Codex is also a goldmine: hundreds of audio and text entries (fully voiced!) unveiling millennia of history, galactic conflicts and cosmic mysteries. A real pleasure to dive into the history of the Quarians, nomadic wanderers on their Flotilla after being exiled from Rannoch by their own creations. Or the Turians, ultra-militaristic and hierarchical society scarred by the Krogan Rebellions where they enforced the genophage. And the Krogans, brutal prolific warriors cursed with engineered sterility to curb their explosive expansion.
Also, all the seeds are there: side quests like scanning the Keepers on the Citadel (ultimately revealing their artificial origins tied to extinction cycles), infiltrating Cerberus and its horrific experiments or the Asari Matriarchs, ancient conservatives embodying their race's wisdom (or arrogance). And that's without forgetting hints at the Protheans and the first whispers of the Reapers.
You feel immersed in this vast story, with a living galaxy and side quests that actually expand the world or deepen factions, and exploration that quickens the pulse before the unknown.
The art style seals the deal, delivering a mature sci-fi aesthetic that's equal parts Blade Runner noir and expansive space opera—think neon-drenched Citadel wards buzzing with alien life, the utilitarian Normandy interiors, and procedurally generated planets with jagged terrains and eerie ruins that feel authentically vast and foreboding. Complementing this perfectly is Jack Wall's soundtrack, a masterpiece blending brooding electronic pulses with swelling orchestral motifs that evoke cosmic wonder, tension, and heroism
That's what makes ME1 timeless: it doesn't settle for a linear blockbuster, it invites immersion in a coherent, epic world where every discovery expands the horizon.
An absolute must for any SF fan.
Mass Effect 2:
Mass Effect 2 loses some RPG depth from ME1 but doubles down hard on lore, universe and those unforgettable characters, turning it into pure squad-based space opera gold.
Gameplay shifts to straight-up action shooter and it's a massive upgrade over ME1. Cover mechanics feel tight, heavy weapons have punch, powers like Warp or Overload hit way harder with cooldowns and combos that chain into biotic explosions. The squad AI is smarter (mostly) and the inventory nightmare is mostly addressed. Planet scanning is gone (thank god) and the exploration is more linear but denser.It's still feels a bit dated in big fights and enemy variety's is meh.
Iconic moments carry it though: that opening death/rez sequence or the Suicide Mission finale where your loyalty choices decide who lives/dies is just chef's kiss tension.
The characters are the absolute peak. Best squad in gaming history, yes I'm saying it.
Each loyalty mission is a mini movie unpacking baggage: Miranda's daddy issues and genetic perfection complex, Jacob's Cerberus family drama, Mordin's genophage guilt (great singer too), Jack's biotic psycho rage turned vulnerability, Grunt's Krogan rite-of-passage, Samara's justicar code dilemma, Thane's dying assassin poetry, Legion's Geth heresy reveal... There's just so much. And the banter between Garrus and Tali is pure gold. All in one, you care if they survive. ME1 quests were very solid, but ME2 make them family.
Shepard bites it hard after ME1's Citadel win as Collectors snatch whole colonies, Cerberus Lazarus Projects you back and now you're assembling a suicide squad of outcasts to punch through to their base and stop the Reaper human smoothie factory. It's less galaxy-spanning epic than ME1, moral gray areas everywhere but the character arcs and escalating dread make it click way harder. Recruitment runs are bangers. Storming Omega for "Archangel" Garrus vs Blue Suns hordes, hunting Thane through Illium vents, springing biotic psycho Jack from a prison nightmare, Mordin's clinic while he spits fire rap on genophage ethics or Kasumi's stealth heist. Peak BioWare.
That ending is, imho, gaming's GOAT finale. Point of no return hits, your upgrades, loyalties, and choices dictate everyone's fate. It also sets up ME3 perfect.
Mass Effect 3:
What's striking is the staging, right out the gate with that airy, wandering camera lingering on shots without constant cuts, making everything feel dynamic and alive from the opening Reaper invasion chaos.
Gameplay is the trilogy peak. It's fluid with weighty, punchy gunfeel, omni-gel for ammo woes and FINALLY unlimited sprint without gasping after 10 meters. Powers evolved with multi-tier evolutions (e.g., Radius Freeze or Chain Lightning), combo detonations everywhere and the squad command is snappier. Adept/Vanguard feel godlike chaining biotics/tech and still holds up stupidly well vs modern cover shooters. RPG depth is also making a come back thanks to a more interesting power trees.
And yes, the story delivers the epic payoff (minus that last hour, we'll get back on this later). The Reapers are vaporizing entire worlds, Shepard's barely holding it together from the war's toll and you're racing to unite every race: broker the Quarian/Geth peace on Rannoch, cure the genophage to ally Krogans and Turians and hunt those Leviathan horrors for the Catalyst's big reveal. Your war assets from ME1 and ME2 choices all come alive, turning old decisions into massive stakes. Pure hype. Sides like saving Grissom kids or Aria retaking Omega are also peak (a bit long for Omega, but still).
The epic missions are non-stop highlights. You get the Palaven orbital drop amid Harbinger's beams melting skyscrapers, Salarian/Krogan intrigue on Sur'Kesh, the bomb defusal and Shroud tower assault on Tuchanka (AMAZING setpiece), the heartbreaking fall of Thessia's Asari ruins, the mind-bending Leviathan station on Cronos... It never ends.
The characters feel like a true family now, even stronger than before. Garrus is the ultimate best bro with his eternal calibrations, the Wrex and Mordin arcs peak in emotional highs, Javik drops salty Prothean roasts everywhere, James Vega brings gym-bro comic relief, EDI's romance arc shines and even Kaidan or Ashley get proper redemption.
The banter is on fire and the Citadel DLC's party is much needed to say goodbye.
The ending - or at least the last hour - is shit. Total buzzkill after 100+ hours of buildup. That dream-sequence Starchild popping up like a deus ex machina, dumping vague Reaper philosophy then forcing one of three color-coded buttons with zero clear outcomes, Shepard dying anyway and your squad's fate left to imagination... All of this felt like a slap.
The Extended Cut DLC drags it back from the grave and adds actual explanations for cycles/choices but it's still far from perfect. it's less infuriating but damn...
Citadel: Shore Leave DLC seals the real goodbye. Makes the finale sting less. But still...
In the end, the Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest science fiction video game sagas (if not the greatest). 10/10.
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