Rumors of a Mass Effect trilogy remake or remaster have been circulating for some time now, and today a big clue as to their veracity has been spotted. A new Mass Effect trilogy art book is going up for pre-order, the sort of merchandise suggestive of a new multimedia push for the franchise.
The book, Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition, is set to release on February 23, 2021, and has been spotted in an Amazon US listing.
It comes with the following blurb:
"Expanded with hundreds of never before seen works of art, this new edition delves deeper than ever into the sci-fi saga that changed video games forever.
[...] Experience the evolution of the aliens, planets, ships, and technology that define this iconic science fiction universe, as the developers who brought BioWare's masterpiece to life take you from the earliest design sketches through to the meticulous final renders.
Brimming with concept art and commentary, this expanded edition is the ultimate companion to one of the greatest series in the history of gaming!"
The art book is coming from publisher Penguin Random House, which also lists the tome for pre-order on its website.
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Mass Effect remastered and redeemed?
In May, Venture Beat claimed that one of the titles in the works from publisher EA is a full remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy. Developer BioWare has also been on the hunt for a technical director who would be "most senior engineering lead on the next major title in one of BioWare’s most prestigious franchises."
BioWare has stated that it's not done with Mass Effect yet, so all is pointing towards some sort of movement for the dormant franchise, with a remaster a likely jumping off point.
With its branching storylines, sweeping sci-fi soap opera atmosphere and superb characters, the Mass Effect trilogy (despite a wobbly ending) endures as one of the greatest franchises in all of gaming. A return to the series in the PS4 / Xbox One era with Mass Effect Andromeda proved disappointing, as the game released in a form that felt unfinished. The franchise deserves better, and a remake or remaster of the classic Xbox 360 and PS3 games would do well to re-ignite interest.
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