Mass Effect Legendary Edition: In Pictures

Friends, I have been waiting to write this post for weeks. It’s unabashed nerdery, gushing and fangirling. I am not ashamed. For those who know me, know how much I absolutely adore the Mass Effect franchise. Getting the entire trilogy remastered was a dream come true for me. I was lucky enough to be able to preorder the game and play it for over a month upon its release, reigniting my love for Mass Effect. Today, I’m sharing with you the highlights and emotions of my experience playing through the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, as told through pictures captured on my PS4 and light commentary. Please enjoy.

**Spoilers for the series abound. Please read at your own caution**

Mass Effect

Hi, I’m Commander Shepard and this is my favorite elevator on the Citadel.

(Femshep forever and always.)

Me and the Mako, back on our bullshit. I had quite a fun time exploring the planets within the first installment of the game, looking for resources and taking way too many pictures with the new photo made that came with Mass Effect Legendary Edition. This was the first photo I took and, as you can see from the length of this post, most certainly not my last.

Spent a lot of time trying to remember where to go in the Citadel. The nostalgia was just as real as the shitty maps were. Plus, I spent an…embarrassing amount of time making sure I found all of the Keepers.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Like I said, I had a lot of fun exploring. As a completionist, I spent a lot of time just adventuring–and these gorgeous graphics made it easy to get lost in. I honestly remembered the Mako being a lot worse to handle. Of course, I also threw myself off of cliffs without abandon and lost track of how many times I flipped it. Thank God I never had to talk to Cortez about this when I met him on the Normandy in Mass Effect 3…

Hey look Mom, I found Earth!

Just kidding, I don’t have a mom. All of my family died on Mindoir.

The first picture with me and my space boyfriend. I have unhealthy levels of attraction to this Turian bad boy and hot damn, I missed him.

I love this picture more than I’m supposed to, I think. The wildlife was just so cool! Also, I stuck with this armor scheme for the rest of the game. I got so lucky that the N7 colors are also my two favorite colors.

Still don’t really know what this guy is, but he was nice and creepy as I was nearing the end of the game (sorry for the darkness, I didn’t really edit with any of the settings). Plus, learning more about the Protheans (most of which I forgot, oops) was really fun with Liara!

Now that’s a motherfucking Reaper.

Mass Effect was such a wonderful introduction to such an amazing series. I loved its simplicity and its layers. I’m very happy that it felt much more doable for me than it did when I first played it (shows improvement for me as a gamer, yes!). I loved getting the chance to play DLCs for the first time! But, being reunited with my boys Garrus and Wrex absolutely made it the best.

It was also really fun to relearn so much of the series. I kept thinking of events that happened later in the series and getting slightly confused when it hadn’t happened yet, only to slowly remember the finer details as I replayed it. The one time my shit memory served me, apparently.

Other random bits of feelings:

• Fuck Ashley and Kaiden. Honestly, practically all of the humans within this franchise suck. Underlining commentary, perhaps?
• Tali’Zorah vas Neema, you’re such a wonderful friend and I’m so glad I got to help you on your pilgrimage. Kee’lah selai!
• Fuck the Council. Seriously, fuck every single one of you. Udina the most, though. Killing you in Mass Effect 3 was honestly one of my favorite things.
• I will never not appreciate Joker. Seriously, man. I love you.

Mass Effect 2

Can we just start off this game with a nice, collective FUCK YOU to Cerberus? All together, now.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Seriously, though. Going through the wreckage of the Normandy hurt. Like, hurt my physical soul. You best damn believe I collected every damn dog tag I could find.

MY SON.

• 

• 

• 

I just really loved not only how gorgeous this game is, but these silly undead-looking monkeys.

And that’s…apparently all the pictures I took from Mass Effect 2. Don’t worry, I make up for it plenty in the next game. But, I think I was so busy dealing with Cerbersus’s bullshit that I didn’t pause to take photos. I’ll take more during my next playthrough (since I already know I’m going to play again).

Like before, a few more general thoughts:

• I think, despite me working with Cerberus (against my will, I may add), that this is my favorite of the franchise. I LOVE how much the companions expand and all of the new and old faces. It made playing with such a small group of companions in Mass Effect 3 so challenging. Getting to know them and spend time helping with their problems and connect with them means so much to me. In that vein, let me share my snapshot thoughts of them all, because I can:
  • Jacob Taylor: indifferent, continues the humans-are-eh train.
  • Miranda Lawson: bitch, but can respect her.
  • Kasumi Goto: fucking cool and my heart breaks for her loss.
  • Zaeed Massani: kind of a dick, closed off, so eh.
  • Garrus Vakarian: there is no Shepard without Vakarian.
  • Grunt: my son, I am so proud of him.
  • Jack: the day she calls us friends is the day I can die happy. Also, BAMF.
  • Mordin Solus: I just…😭😭😭 (I didn’t really like Mordin the first time I played, but now he is top tier).
  • Tali’Zorah vas Neema: I love you and your emergency induction ports.
  • Samara: like wow, your life is hard. I don’t envy it.
  • Thane Krios: I know everyone loves Thane, but I’m…indifferent? *hides*
  • Legion: you have a soul. You do, you do, you do.
• Some of the missions where we discover what Cerberus is willing to do to advance humanity made me think that the team at BioWare was really working through some shit. Like, y’all okay?
• Shameless brag, but who made it through the suicide mission without a guide with her entire squad alive? This bitch.

Mass Effect 3

• 

• 

This is the game that completely shatters my soul. Like, I know it all leads up to this, but holy shit. Me sobbing alone the first time I finished this game at 2am is JUSTIFIED.

I…also discovered how to take action shots of myself!

• 

• 

• 

• 

What can I say? By the time we hit Mass Effect 3, Commander Shepard isn’t here to play any games.

Normandy looking amazing as ever!

Also, I have a weird fascination with the Reapers. Like, fuck ’em and their desire to destroy sentient life, but I can’t lie and say they aren’t also fascinating to me. Unfortunately had plenty of opportunities to capture them in all of their glory, you know, since they showed up and decided to wipe out the entire galaxy. I TOLD YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

When I wasn’t busy kicking Reaper ass, I also:

Finally got to see a fish tank WITHOUT dead creatures inside (best 25,000 credits I ever spent).

Told Garrus I loved him.

And had the best party with all of my friends to remember for the rest of my life.

Seriously, Mass Effect 3 is incredible. With the introduction of new members who feel like family–looking at you, Traynor, Cortez and Vega–to being able to tell the Illusive Man what I thought about him without holding back; to surviving all the way to destroy the Reapers and keeping (most of) my crew alive in the process, this game is gold.

Also, this was the first time I got to play any of the DLCs, which, for three, were amazing. Omega was great fun with Aria (and hello Nyreen). But, hands down, getting to do the Citadel DLC was the best fun and experience I think out of the entire game. It was fan service done RIGHT and in all the best ways. Not only will I never look at a toothbrush the same away again, but it gave me so many feels and I just appreciate everyone who put that together. It was GLORIOUS.

Can we also applaud for how bloody good the entire score is!?

There’s no good way to wrap up this post, so I’m just going with sap: I love Mass Effect, hands down. And Mass Effect Legendary Edition was as legendary as you can make it. The storyline, the characters, the way your choice impacts the game; the lore, the depth and the cast of characters you can meet, to the way it impacts you. To me, it’s one of the best–if not THE best–gaming franchises of all time. I love it to my core and I am not ashamed. Getting this remaster was a balm I didn’t know my soul needed.

This is Nicole vas Normandy, signing off.