Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the remaster of BioWare's classic sci-fi RPG series, has arrived. Players on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X can now dive back into Commander Shepard's story, taking on Geth, Krogan, and Reapers in an epic tale spanning the three Mass Effect titles.
Although the original Mass Effect trilogy had third-person shooter combat, it made sure that players never forgot that they were playing an RPG. Mass Effect Legendary Edition, as a loving remaster of the original games, is no different. Whether they're exploring alien planets, fighting Asari smugglers, or saving Earth, players in Mass Effect never stop earning experience points. These points allow Commander Shepard to level up, gaining new Talents and abilities.
However, Mass Effect Legendary Edition offers players more than one way to approach levelling. When players start a new game they'll be given a choice between Classic mode and Legendary mode. These two modes offer different approaches to how experience points and levelling is handled in Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
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The first of the two levelling modes in Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the Classic mode. Classic mode uses the same level caps that were in the original Mass Effect trilogy. This means that players will take Commander Shepard from Level 1 to Level 60.
It's worth noting that Classic Mode doesn't use the same experience curve and levelling speed as the original Mass Effect games. In Mass Effect 1 it took players roughly two complete playthroughs to reach Level 60 and unlock everything. In Classic Mode it's possible to hit Level 60 in a single playthrough.
This has been done by increasing the amount of experience points that players gain throughout Mass Effect Legendary Edition's story. Players will level up almost twice as fast, and spend more time in the game's character menu as a result.
While the Classic mode in Mass Effect Legendary Edition sticks to the original level cap of 60, the Legendary mode reduces it to 30. Players will still earn the same amount of experience in this mode, but it will take twice as much for each level. To balance this, each level will give the rewards of two level-ups in the Classic Mode.
This means that players will still be able to reach the max level of 30 in a single playthrough, and more importantly unlock everything. Legendary mode gives players a slower levelling experience than Classic, but still allows access to the same curve of Talents and abilities for their chosen Mass Effect class.
Both the Legendary mode and Classic mode in Mass Effect Legendary Edition allow players to reach the top level by the end of a single playthrough. This means that the only real difference between the modes is how often players are given points to spend on levelling up. In Classic mode players will be given small amounts of points often, while in Legendary mode they'll receive twice as many but not as often.
The levelling curve itself stays the same in both modes, so the choice that players make will be how often they want to improve Commander Shepard. Classic mode players will be able to spend points more often, incrementally gaining new abilities, while Legendary mode players will level up in larger chunks.
This progression system will give Legendary mode players in Mass Effect Legendary Edition the ability to spend more time focusing on the game, and less on improving their Shepard. However, neither of these modes are set in stone, and players can switch to the other one in the Options menu at any time. Doing so will automatically adjust Shepard's level to the new curve, allowing players to try both systems freely.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.