Players can once again revisit the Milky Way galaxy in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. With updated visuals and other quality-of-life improvements, experiencing this epic sci-fi trilogy has never felt better. Yet, nothing is ever perfect, and the developers can't think of everything. Fortunately, that's where the modding community comes into play.
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Already, the list of mods for the Legendary Edition on Nexus is growing extensively. Never before has it been so easy to mod the entire trilogy in one convenient place. From graphical tweaks to unlocking previously cut content, these essential mods deserve some attention before taking off in the Normandy one final time.
10 Trilogy Save Editor
The Mass Effect games give players a startling amount of freedom. Outside of combat, players spend the majority of their time conversing with NPCs and making decisions. Shepard can make thousands of choices, both large and small, throughout the trilogy. Keeping track of it all can quickly become untenable.
Arguably the first and most important mod that players should install is Trilogy Save Editor by Karlitos. When activated, this mod tracks and organizes almost every detail about the player character. Anything the player has agency over can be reviewed and/or tweaked to their heart's content.
9 Enable In-Game Console
Video games and cheat codes have fit hand-in-glove with each other for quite some time. On a PC, players enable cheats through the use of console commands. This gives players the ability to manipulate the game world in various ways. Nevertheless, enabling console commands in the Legendary Edition isn't as straightforward as other titles.
A mod is actually required first to unlock the console. For that, downloading Enable In-Game Console is perhaps the easiest method. Just follow the instructions on the mod page to extract the file to the proper game folder. After that, pressing the ~ key will bring up the in-game console like most other games.
8 Better Camera
It comes as no surprise that players spend a lot of their time in combat. The Mass Effect games feature third-person, squad-based combat. Options to manipulate the camera angles are sparse, but that hasn't stopped modders from fixing the problem themselves.
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The Better Camera mod does exactly what it says. It gives the user more options to adjust the angles to their liking. The mod allows the FOV to be zoomed out further, giving players a wider view of the battlefield if they so desire. Gamers can apply this mod to all three games in the Legendary Edition.
7 ME2LE One Probe All Resources
Mass Effect 2 approaches resource gathering a bit differently than the first entry. With the aid of a scanner, multiple probes need to be dispatched to a planet to gather valuable minerals. The process is necessary but extremely tedious. Minerals need to be gathered periodically for the use of upgrades.
The aptly-named ME2LE One Probe All Resources mod is a godsend. No more fooling around with scanners to locate the best mineral spots. No more buying heaps of probes just for one or two planets. With this mod, just send one probe anywhere on the planet. The job is done, and all anomalies and resources are found and deposited instantly.
6 ME1LE All Unobtainable Equipment
The final version of the original Mass Effect contains a dizzying amount of armor and weaponry. Interestingly, even more weapons and armor exist, but players cannot obtain them through normal means. Only through the use of mods can players access this cut equipment.
The ME1LE All Unobtainable Equipment mod finally gives players the ability to utilize this array of armor and weapons. Items manufactured by Jormangund Technologies, Cerberus Skunkworks, HK Shadow Works, and Geth Armory can now be found and equipped.
5 More Appearances For ME2LE & ME3LE
Similar to the previous mod, More Appearances for ME2LE & ME3LE gives the player more cosmetic options. Compared to the first game, clothing choices in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 are somewhat limited. This is particularly true for Shepard's casual dress, the outfit he/she wears while on the Normandy.
With this mod, the amount of clothing options is drastically increased. Over 70 casual outfits, 11 helmets, and 4 armors are added to Mass Effect 2. For Mass Effect 3, the mod includes 45 casual outfits, 7 helmets, and 9 armors. It's definitely a must-have mod to spice up Shepard's appearance in the later games.
4 Mass Effect HDR & Realism
The Legendary Edition adds some much-needed graphical enhancements to the trilogy. It implements textures, meshes, lighting, and a whole host of other improvements. The games now look better than they ever did, but there's always more that can be done to increase graphical fidelity.
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There are actually quite a few reshade mods on Nexus for the Legendary Edition. One of the best is Mass Effect HDR & Realism, which is compatible with all three games in the trilogy. The color palette and lighting are much more vibrant, while certain textures also appear sharper. It's a must-have in order to get even better graphics out of the game.
3 Customizable Default FemShep Head Morph
Better graphics in the overall environment is all well and good, but what about Shepard? Various mods on Nexus tweak Shepard's features. Specifically, many of them focus on the default appearance of a female Commander Shepard.
The Customizable Default FemShep Head Morph mod provides a nice variety of differing options for a female Shepard. The work is very high quality and can be applied to both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. It will also require the Trilogy Save Editor mod mentioned previously to work correctly.
2 QOL Speed BIN Tweaks
Players who enjoy exploring in the first Mass Effect will likely spend a lot of time in the Mako. This vehicle, although useful, is far from perfect. The speed of the Mako leaves much to be desired. The booster engines help a little, but the effect is temporary and needs time to recharge.
Gamers can overcome this annoying limitation with the QOL Speed BIN Tweaks mod. With it, the Mako speed boost is infinite, allowing the player to zip across the map in no time. In addition, the mod also gives Shepard infinite sprint for both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. It's a useful little workaround that makes the player's life much easier.
1 No Reapers & Unlimited Scan Range On Galaxy Map
Scanning planets receives yet another minor modification in Mass Effect 3. Since the Reaper invasion is in full force, scanning a planet is often risky, as it can potentially draw the attention of a powerful dreadnought. Players must flee the system before the Reaper catches them. If it does, it's game over.
Although it makes sense from a story perspective, this mechanic can become annoying after a while. Players who wish to scan and explore planets in peace should consider downloading the No Reapers & Unlimited Scan Range on Galaxy Map mod. It removes the threat of the Reapers, and by extension, the need to make frantic escapes.