Mass Effect Legendary Edition and re-experiencing games for the first time

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Garrus Source: Electronic Arts

We all have comfort games. Anybody has those games that are mired in nostalgia and tin be replayed fourth dimension and time over again. However, even if nosotros've played them multiple times, they withal go added to the dreaded backlog until we can actually play through it properly. Whether information technology'south beingness too busy with work, or dealing with some kind of stress, y'all realize that you're not in the correct headspace to play something and need to get out it alone until you tin really give it the attention it deserves.

That's how I was with Mass Effect Legendary Edition. I call up it was a combination of factors — stress from work, family bug, the loss of a beloved pet — and so for one reason or some other, I wasn't able to carve out the fourth dimension to play through the three games once again, despite really wanting to, especially later rewatching the teaser for the adjacent Mass Effect multiple times.

Even withal, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition was 1 of my favorite games to talk almost in 2022. Information technology not only reignited my love for the franchise, but also helped me understand that yous don't need to play a game in order to relish it.

Despite the ubiquity of the franchise in gaming circles, many people I know who picked up Mass Outcome Legendary Edition were experiencing the games for the starting time fourth dimension. My mom, for example, actually decided to play through them for the first time. I'd asked her to requite them a attempt in the past, knowing her burgeoning enjoyment of narrative-driven games, but it was with the proclamation of the collection that she finally decided to jump on board and play through the trilogy. She wasn't alone, given how Mass Effect Legendary Edition exceeded Electronic Arts' expectations.

Needless to say, she admittedly loved them. And information technology was through conversations with her over the form of the 2 months she spent playing them that I got to re-experience those games all over over again, despite not personally playing them. I've played the original games multiple times (the outset game more than times than I tin count) and I've gone through all the DLC packs at least once, if not more. I know the story beats, conversations and characters as well any other basic facts.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Citadel Reaper Source: Electronic Arts

And nonetheless, at every point, I found myself surprised. I was surprised at some of the choices she made or contemplated making (Kaidan? Really?), but more than surprised because information technology gave me a newfound appreciation for all 3 games. It was the closest thing I've ever experienced to going through a piece of media for the first time over over again. Those conversations, daily or weekly, became a driving force for me equally much as my own fourth dimension with games, in my spare time or for work.

It made me capeesh more than e'er just how unique the Mass Effect games are, flowing from 1 title to the adjacent.

Equally early as the first Mass Issue, I had to stay updated on how things were going. I had to know what her theories were ahead of the iconic reveal of Sovereign, who she left backside on Virmire (it was Ashley), who her favorite teammates were (Garrus and Tali), and what she idea of the conversation with Vigil. Information technology went into overdrive with Mass Effect 2 — the best of the trilogy still, permit's go that squared away — and knowing the inevitable suicide mission was coming up.

Similar the majority of the characters in the second game, she was initially wary of Grunt, but after talking with him repeatedly ahead of his loyalty mission, she came to view him as a heavily-armored, 400-pound son, with Shepard as Grunt'southward surrogate mother. Many people (myself included) definitely picked upward on that family relationship building throughout the game, but she identified a lot of the issues Grunt was facing fifty-fifty before anything was brought upward or revealed in dialogue.

"He's hit puberty," I recall her wrily noting when watching him stalk back and forth beyond the Normandy, talking about wanting to kill things.

I've ever been interested in what others thought of games that I besides enjoyed, but this was something different. It made me appreciate more than e'er only how unique the Mass Issue games are, flowing from one title to the next. It's non actually three separate games and so much every bit it is Mass Event: Office One, Part Two and Function 3. That unique progression meant I was able to re-feel the trilogy through someone else's optics. In the hellish year that was 2022, it was a special experience.

When I asked her why she enjoyed the Mass Event trilogy so much, she said information technology was just everything, and how it all came together in the closure of the trilogy every bit different cultures butting heads came together under the right leadership. "The size of the world, the cultures, the depth of the characters, romances, side quests, mining," she said. The concluding of those might seem out of identify, only she loved the mining. She spent hours strip-mining the galaxy for resources. I recall she spent more credits on probes than all the other upgrades put together.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Tim Source: Electronic Arts

Interestingly, one of the strongest aspects of Mass Effect 3 for her was, substantially, a reflection of my own experience this year. Javik the Prothean unexpectedly shot up as one of her favorite characters, every bit she appreciated experiencing the universe through him and how differently he saw things.

It helped u.s. bond in a way we never really accept before, despite playing and talking about games together since I first endemic the original Xbox 15 years ago. Information technology's one matter to inquire someone'south thoughts on a story. Information technology'southward another to come across a journey beginning to end through a completely different lens, removed from your ain opinions on something.

I may not have had fourth dimension to play through these games like I wanted through 2022, only I however went through them all over over again, even if I had to relive that story through someone else, while growing closer and ameliorate understanding who that person is. It's been one of my favorite, strongest experiences of the year. Ten years after finishing Mass Effect 3 for the first fourth dimension, I have a newfound appreciation for just how special these stories and characters truly are.

Maybe I'll fifty-fifty play the trilogy over my vacation break.

The legend returns

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Reco

Mass Consequence: Legendary Edition

Commander Shepard's story

The commencement 3 Mass Effect games are a truly special experience in gaming, and yous tin play through them all with (practically) every bit of DLC in the Legendary Edition.

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