Mass Effect 3‘s ending was divisive, and that’s being charitable. If you happen to lead towards burning hatred for the conclusion to BioWare’s RPG game trilogy, this mod might be just what you’re looking for.
Project: Earth Overhaul is a top-to-bottom rework of Mass Effect 3’s final mission, using cut content and new features that range from bug fixes to music, events, and cut-scenes. According to the description on Nexus, it provides “a satisfying finale for one of the most popular franchises in gaming culture”, while also remaining “true to BioWare’s initial design, established lore and the game’s original script”.
Every cut-scene has been touched up, and you now have more choices based on your background. All the characters have new dialogue, some freshly recorded, others lifted from Mass Effect 2 and 3. Four new tracks have been added to the soundtrack, as well as lots of visual flare and background events through-out. In the latest, and apparently last, update, there’s now sections where you fight alongside the Geth, and other characters like Grunt and Kirrahe, making this last stand truly sprawling.
If you don’t remember, or haven’t played, the last mission in Mass Effect 3 involves getting to the Citadel so you can use the Crucible, an ancient superweapon, on the invading Reapers. It’s long and epic, and according to Geoff Keighley’s book The Final Hours of Mass Effect 3, had a lot of content cut for development time. This mod takes what’s known of BioWare’s original script for the space game, and takes liberties in the vein of BioWare’s general design ideas, and re-sculpts Project: Earth.
We spoke to one of the creators, Orikon, last year, after the first release of the mod. “Like most people, I had issues with ME3’s ending,” they said. “But when I say ‘ending’, I don’t mean just the Catalyst. It’s the final mission too.” They eventually paired up with another modder, Kinkojiro, to fix it, believing the original incarnation of the mission “lacks any sense of excitement, urgency or closure.”
Here’s a gameplay trailer from June:
Naturally, BioWare itself was out in force for N7 Day, announcing Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, and a new Mass Effect. As always, mod with caution.