The elevator rides on the Citadel in the beloved Mass Effect series are notorious for being excessively - almost uncomfortably - long. As Commander Shepard, a Systems Alliance military hero, players would spend time traversing the galaxy to stop a rogue Spectre named Saren and eventually a war where the fate of the entire galaxy hangs in the balance. On some of the major hubs, Mass Effect players would often need to take an elevator ride to reach their destination and continue the mission. Despite the advanced technology demonstrated in the series, elevators seemed to take a step back, moving at an almost glacial pace.
When the original Mass Effect game was released in 2007, PC and console hardware was far less efficient and needed time to process larger games. Instead of having players sit through lengthy loading screens, BioWare developers chose to use the elevator sequences to maintain immersion. During these rides, players could receive some squad banter and learn more about the various alien races represented in their crew, or listen to Galactic News reports about their recent missions, underscored by peppy muzak. In the sequels, developers seemed to recognize the awkwardness and inefficiency of this mechanic, even going so far as to poke fun at it in the third installment to the trilogy and in future games like Dragon Age: Inquisition: The Descent. When the remastered Mass Effect: Legendary Edition launches on May 14, fans may be wondering if they will once again need to endure these somewhat painful pauses in the action as their squad gets a lift to a new part of the Citadel or back to the Normandy.
Elevator rides were one of the major areas the developers at BioWare focused on optimizing in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, based on feedback they received from the fans. In a preview event, producer Crystal McCord revealed that developers had worked closely with the Mass Effect fan community to learn what quality-of-life improvements players wanted to see in a remaster, and the elevator rides quickly came up, along with other expected mechanics like the Mako.
Surprisingly, some fans expressed affection and nostalgia for Mass Effect's long elevator rides. In addition, the team wanted to avoid remaking or rebooting the series and decided early on that they wouldn't change the levels, features, or even many of the assets from the original, just enhance and optimize them. To ensure players could experience the same elevator rides as they did back in 2007 if they wanted to, but weren't forced to endure them for quite as long, developers decided to compromise.
In Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, players will still experience elevator rides, but these will be shorter and more efficient. Developers cut out the long, awkward pauses before and after squad banter or a news clip. In a side-by-side comparison of the original Mass Effect and the remaster, the new ride took a total of 14 seconds, including the news clip or banter, where the original took about a minute to complete. In addition, after a certain point in the squad banter or news clip players now have the option to skip the remainder of the ride and appear at their destination right away.
This compromise demonstrates the fine line developers reported trying to navigate between maintaining nostalgia and making needed improvements to a beloved game. Enhanced features like the improved Citadel elevator rides will help Mass Effect: Legendary Edition feel new without sacrificing the charming quirks that made the original a classic in the first place.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will launch on May 14, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with forward compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
