Every replay of the Mass Effect games tends to start with a promise: this time, you’ll do things differently. Then Shepard makes the same speech, you bring the same squad, and you’re right back where you started. BioWare’s Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the remastered trilogy released in May 2021, makes starting over easy.
But the best replay value is in changing the rules. Swap the class you always play, tank a choice on purpose, or finish the whole thing with one gun. These eight runs each come with their own mission parameters.
And this time, maybe you’ll really do things differently. Spoilers for major plot points throughout the Mass Effect trilogy. Mission parameters: Come back from the dead as a biotic Commander Shepard dies in the opening minutes of Mass Effect 2.
On the first playthrough of the trilogy, this is earth-shattering. On a replay, it’s more of an opportunity. As Shepard gets a new body, you get a chance at a new playstyle.
Interested in skipping the first game and its slower exploration vibe entirely? You can: Import your last Mass Effect 1 save, keep your major choices, and swap your class on the way in. (Or start fresh at the second game in the Legendary Edition, which lets you skip the first installment entirely.) The Vanguard, a biotic class built around the Charge, a power that launches you into the middle of a fight, is a good option. Pick a class you’ve never played, and let Cerberus take the blame.
Mission parameters: Red options everywhere — except to save Wrex, the Rachni Queen, and the Council The Renegade path is an uneven one in this trilogy. Your dialogue options are color-coded: You get a blue, diplomatic Paragon option and a red, ruthless Renegade one. The red options mean different things at different times.
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