BioWare released a load of cool Mass Effect freebies ahead of the Legendary Edition launch
Including music, comics and a create-your-own cover art tool
We're but a mere eight days away from the release of the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. In writing that, it's just dawned on me how close I am to seeing my hi-res alien pals and bombing around in the improved Mako. To tide fans over until the remaster's launch, BioWare have released a free content package containing loads of Mass Effect's iconic music, as well as digital art books and comics. They've also created an online tool that lets you select your favourite squadmates to make some personalised cover art.
Head over to EA's website to grab the "Mass Effect Bonus Content Download". It contains all the extra stuff that originally came with the Deluxe Editions of Mass Effect 2 and 3, as well as a pretty lithograph of the Normandy and 88 songs from the trilogy's wonderful OST. I've been listening to them this morning and I'm feeling lots of emotions. BioWare also popped all those tracks on YouTube with a nice little animation of Liara working away on the Normandy. Lofi beats to study Protheans to.
Now you have some excellent backing music to listen to while you look through the two digital art books in that content package. They contain concept art for Mass Effect 2 and 3, and though I've probably seen a lot of it before, I still get a kick out of seeing how character designs evolve through a game's development.
Next up, there are two digital comics to read through too. Mass Effect: Redemption issue 1 is set just after Shepard disappears at the start of Mass Effect 2, and explains what Liara was up to before Shep was found. Mass Effect: Invasion issue 1 is all about Omega's Queen and CEO, Aria T'Loak, dealing with Cerberus trying to invade her space station.
Possibly the best part of all of this isn't even in that content package, however (though that package is brilliant). The devs have also made a Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Custom Art Creator, which lets you build your own Mass Effect key art using all your fave characters. You can see mine above, featuring my best buds Tali and Garrus right at the top. It gets you to select which characters you like most, as well as a location and whether you want it Paragon or Renegade coloured (or both). Here are a few more examples of the sort of thing you can make.
The Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will grace our screens on May 14th. In the meantime, it's worth checking out all the changes they've made to the trilogy, such as bringing the first game more in line with the sequels and upgrading lighting and textures.