Mass Effect Remasters are unlikely to come this year. According to reports, the roadblock to the upcoming Legendary Edition is the first game of the franchise.
The Mass Effect Trilogy is a legendary franchise in its own right, but it came too early. Now, there are rumors that Electronic Arts is looking to remaster the entire franchise. Mass Effect Remasters will have better graphics and improved gameplay.
Even then, insider reports say that the first title, Mass Effect 1, is hampering development. Devs are afraid that it may “disappoint fans.”
The first Mass Effect “might disappoint fans”
According to Jeff Grubb of VentureBeat, the pandemic is the primary cause of delay for the remasters. The slower development times mean lower productivity across the franchise. However, Grubb also claims that is not the entire story.
“The primary factor holding up development, beyond the pandemic, is the original Mass Effect game,” said Grubb. “It currently does not live up to the quality of the rest of the package. It would make a poor first impression for new players, and it might disappoint fans who then won’t go on to play and experience the impressive upgrades for Mass Effect 2 and ME 3.”
According to his sources, the primary points of contention are the visuals and gameplay. The devs who are working on the franchise understand the root cause of the problem. It seems that the devs don’t want to release a filthy cash grab.
Legendary Edition has very little hype, and it’s okay
The delay for Mass Effect Remasters is not a problem in the broad spectrum of things. While it would be perfect to get the next-gen remasters soon, almost nobody is waiting for them. There is very little hype for the remasters, especially with other games coming.
Cyberpunk 2077 is coming soon, with many other AAA titles on the horizon. With that said, the Mass Effect devs must do it right the first time. The last sequel, Mass Effect: Andromeda, killed the entire franchise.
While Andromeda looks serviceable now, it was an absolute bore at launch. The game riddled with bugs, glitches, and more controversy than it’s worth. The devs must get the remasters correctly to give Mass Effect 5 a good foundation.
“[But] one aspect those fans won’t get to experience regardless of how much time BioWare gets is the multiplayer,” adds Grubb. “EA doesn’t plan to include the Mass Effect 3 multiplayer in this package. Something like that would turn this remaster into a live-service game, and that is likely not worth the investment.”
The Mass Effect Remasters are not coming any time soon, and that’s ok. Bioware and EA should hold back until everything is smooth-sailing.
Featured Image courtesy of Mass Effect/Youtube Screenshot