New reports have suggested that BioWare and EA are working on a remaster of the originalMass Effecttrilogy, something fans have been waiting for pretty much since the arrival of current-generation consoles. Because of the overwhelming enthusiasm and love for theMass Effecttrilogy already out there, remastering it could be a huge step in the right direction for BioWare.
It’s been hard not to notice that BioWare hasn’t been doing as well as it could be in recent years, as its last two released titles haven’t gone over nearly as well as the company had hoped. Therefore, thepossibility of aMass Effectremasteris more than just that; it could be the start of a major comeback for BioWare as a whole.
RELATED:Mass Effect 5 Companion Wish List
BioWare’s Decline
While debatable, since the ending ofMass Effect 3threw BioWare’s fanbase into enraged chaos, most would argue that BioWare’s decline began after the release ofMass Effect Andromeda. The thing is,Andromedawasn’t abadgame, but the number of bugs it had upon launch definitely stifled fans' enthusiasm for it. The launch ofAndromedaoccurred in 2017, about three years after the launch of BioWare’s laudedDragon Age: Inquisition. The company had run into hot water before withMass Effect 3, butInquisitionwas such a resounding success that BioWare managed to save a lot of its goodwill.
Thus,Andromeda’s lackluster arrival began BioWare’s decline, and that decline was cemented with the equally–if not more so–lackluster arrival ofAnthem, BioWare’s foray into online multiplayer action RPGs. The lack of enthusiasm surroundingAnthem’s arrival (which ensued in part because the game failed to stand out, because it had a number of mechanical problems with loot, and more) led to about a year of less-than-successful life for the game before EA decided to revamp it.
So, at the moment, it’s been years since aDragon AgeorMass Effecttitlehas been released, nearly eight years since the end of theMass Effecttrilogy, and BioWare has yet toformallyannounce anything but theAnthemremaster (even though we know there’s more in the works than that). But that’s not necessarily a bad thing: it means that there are a number of things BioWare can do from here to save its reputation as one of the best RPG developers in the industry.
The Current Possibilities
As of right now, there are a couple of things we know BioWare has brewing. Most notably is theAnthemrevamp that BioWare promised before anything else.Anthemcould use the attention, but as we notedpreviously, aMass Effectremasterwould go a much longer way overall to restoring BioWare’s universal goodwill. Then there’sDragon Age 4, which is definitively being worked on, yetstillhasn’t been more than teaed. There’s theMass Effectremaster itself, which also has yet to be formally announced, and then there’sMass Effect 5, something we know is coming but most likely won’t arrive for years at least.
SoBioWareclearly has plenty going on, but what do they all mean for the company? Well, hopefully, theMass Effecttrilogy remaster will come first–current reports suggest it’ll be out this financial year, which ends in March of 2021–and the remaster has been so highly anticipated and requested that it’s practically an ace in the hole for BioWare. Presumably theAnthemrevamp will follow, which if done well, could still help BioWare’s reputation.Dragon Age 4will most likely come after that, hopefully sooner rather than later since it’s already been over five years since the release ofInquisition, and if BioWare can nail it like the company nailedInquisition, that could cement the developer’s comeback.
RELATED:Mass Effect 5 Has Some Big Shoes to Fill, Literally
The Importance of a Mass Effect Remaster
TheMass Effecttrilogy is easily BioWare’s most widely-known and recognized franchise to date,andMass Effect 2in particularis at the top of pretty much any “Best RPGs of All Time” list out there. Based on that, there’s really no downside for BioWare or EA in releasing a remaster: it’d be good for business, since the games already have so many fans established, and it’d please the masses of fans who have been asked for the remaster for the past five years. The return of the beloved originalMass Effectgames could very well herald the return of all the love that BioWare got from its fans during the games' heyday.
A remaster could also represent a chance for BioWare to further tweak the ending ofMass Effect 3, something that it was first forced to do in quite the hurry when fans reacted strongly in opposition to the original ending. Plus, remasters are always a good opportunity to include previously cut content, as well as including and polishing up all of the games' existing DLC. At the very least,theMass Effectgameswill get a massive graphical overhaul that catch it up to date withAndromeda, and at best, the games will get some of the aforementioned extras thrown into the mix.
Right now, it’s looking like EA could announce the remaster in the late summer or fall, for a winter 2020 or spring 2021 release. Certainly, the holidays would be the perfect time to drop something so highly requested, so the odds look good. Still, fans should temper their expectations, since none of this is guaranteed yet. Hopefully, BioWare will go ahead andconfirm aMass Effecttrilogy remastersooner rather than later, as it’ll only help the developer on its way to a comeback.
TheMass Effecttrilogy is available to play on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
