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BioWare Teasing A New Mass Effect Remaster Again

For years now there have been rumours of a potential Mass Effect remaster and with EA becoming more open to re-releases now, there is certainly a better chance that we will see a ‘Shepard Trilogy’ some day. BioWare has the internet talking about this idea once again thanks to a new cryptic tweet. Earlier today, the developer took to Twitter (Below) to send out a cryptic tweet about the opening cutscene of the original Mass Effect installment. The clip also included the iconic soundtrack of the game as well as the official box art.

The teaser closely follows another one from last week where BioWare quoted Mass Effect 2 alongside an image of the SSV Normandy that was featured in all three installments of the trilogy. Picking up the breadcrumbs, it won’t be surprising to see BioWare return fairly soon to drop another hint by referencing Mass Effect 3.

https://twitter.com/bioware/status/1214607656406487041

Bioware’s recent history with the Mass Effect franchise has been shakey. Mass Effect Andromeda, released in 2017, looked to be the start of a new era for the series. However, the incredibly negative reception the game received seems to have halted those plans. With the failure of Anthem, Bioware’s latest game, the studio’s future seems uncertain.

Mass Effect: Andromeda was released in early 2017 to mediocre and mostly negative scores. There were so many issues with the game that was supposed to be the first installment of a new trilogy. The animations were dodgy. The facial expressions were comical. The dialogues were bland. The entire experience felt half-finished and a chore. BioWare ended up abandoning the game as well as post-release content plans & DLC´s, a decision taken by Electronic Arts.

The aftermath of Andromeda is also another reason why BioWare wouldn’t be jumping back into the franchise with a new installment so soon. The developer would perhaps be considering a remastered trilogy to redeem itself before going ahead with something new.

What better way to get back on the right foot than a release of the original Mass Effect trilogy. The studio really needs a victory right now, and with the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA is likely excited to cash in on the single-player audience they thought didn’t exist several years ago.

A remaster of the Mass Effect trilogy would be great for fans. The games are backward compatible with Xbox One, and they work rather well on that console line. However, the PC versions of the games vary in quality. The original Mass Effect requires quite a bit of tweaking depending on your hardware, and it looks rough without mods. Additionally, it’s a pain to figure out which DLC works with each version of the game, and a re-release would hopefully clear that issue up.

We wouldn’t be surprised if we hear something definitive on a remastered Mass Effect trilogy soon. These are some of the most beloved RPGs of all time, and with minimal effort (at least compared to building a whole new game), Bioware could print money and redeem itself a bit in the eyes of fans.