Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a phenomenal remaster of the original trilogy, with enough changes to not only feel fresh, but with enough quality-of-life improvements to truly call this the definitive way to play the Mass Effect trilogy.

These games still hold up today, and while the visual improvements do not make the games feel “Next-Gen”, they definitely bring the games up to date and make them more than playable. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the perfect way for both longtime fans and series newcomers alike to experience one of the finest franchises in gaming history.

If we’re setting off to new horizons and, eventually, a new Mass Effect, then Mass Effect Legendary Edition serves as a solid collection of this trilogy. This is everything these three games were, and still are to many fans, preserved for time. Just like the capsule Liara makes during Mass Effect 3, this is what can hopefully stand the test of time and carry what this trilogy is—its characters, its worlds, and its stories—forward for ages to come.

Not every wrinkle can be hidden by a skillful make-up, but the in-game feeling is very good, and impersonating Commander Shepard gives the same vibrant feelings of the past. Saving the galaxy from the Reapers has never looked so cool.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition fulfills its mission, it allows you to discover or rediscover a monument of video games in excellent conditions. This remaster doesn't just give the graphics an update, as is too often the case, or even concentrate the games and almost all of their DLC in a single package, it actively improves the gameplay experience by correcting some of the flaws that plagued the first title in the trilogy, even if it could have gone further at times. Explore the galaxy with Commander Shepard and his crew in an adventure of extraordinary quality that's just as long-lasting. This is a game not to be missed by any sci-fi, space opera or western RPG fan, and even if there are a few wrinkles, it doesn't spoil the experience.

The Legendary Edition is the best way to experience one of the most fascinating space opera in all of gaming, with refined visuals and also a few gameplay improvements for the first Mass Effect. There are still a couple of bugs and technical issues that needs to be addressed, but overall it's a solid remaster.

While retaining some flaws of the original games, Mass Effect Legendary Edition (and specifically ME1’s remaster and modern take on the action) is worth exploring once again for the fans, and for those who’ve always wondered what was so special about the franchise and never gave it a try.