It's almost a decade since Mass Effect 3 brought to a conclusion a much-loved sci-fi series which had expanded its vast, galaxy-spanning story over five years. The finale's release was marred by an apoplectic response to its ending, as if the narrative intricacies of the final few minutes negated the emotional investment accrued over the dozens of hours previously played. Developer Bioware caved in to the public outcry and tweaked the epilogue, ending the trilogy on a conciliatory but unnecessarily humiliating note.

The launch of Mass Effect Legendary Edition has now given Bioware the agency to reclaim their series, assembling all three games into one expansive, remastered collection. Each game has been given a visual overhaul, including improved lighting, higher frame rates and 4K resolutions. All the various downloadable content (missions, weapons, armour) has been collated and integrated into each respective game at an appropriate moment. The multiplayer section has been removed from the third entry, although there's speculation that it may be resurrected in the future. It was an interesting inclusion at the time but relying on the availability of other players in order to fulfil resource quotas for a single player game was always a tricky prospect, particularly later down the line when general player interest inevitably flags.

The epic story follows protagonist Commander Shepard in their attempt to track down a rogue agent planning to help carry out the plan of the Reapers, a highly advanced machine race whose raison d'être is to destroy all organic life every 50,000 years. The mission involves travelling across the Milky Way galaxy and assembling a squad of assistants comprising various races from across the galaxy who all have their own background story and complex racial history. As in a typical RPG, tough decisions are often forced on the player (sometimes with seconds to spare) and there are times when you'll need to sacrifice crew members for the greater good. Or you can choose to play as a renegade character and be a dick to everyone: it's your choice.

Unsurprisingly, given its age, the first game has undergone the biggest transformation. Character models are vastly enhanced compared with their puppet-like counterparts from 2007. Combat has been brought closer in line with the later games, and the notorious elevator loading screens have been vastly shortened. The Mako – a cumbersome ATV vehicle used to explore the game's numerous rocky outposts – now has improved handling and a higher top speed, although these sections are still far and away the game's most frustrating and tedious bits.

While the first game looks, plays and sounds better than ever, it's still very much a dress rehearsal for Mass Effect 2. Arguably one of the greatest games ever made, it stands up superbly to modern scrutiny. Much like The Empire Strikes Back, it's darker, more complex, broader in scope, technically superior and deservedly full of confidence. There wasn't much that needed improvement before but the graphical polish certainly helps it shine on modern systems. It was at this point in the series that DLC started to become an unwieldy marketing tool so it's nice now to see everything consolidated.

And so to the finale. If you're new to the trilogy then just ignore the naysayers and enjoy the ride. Long since Mass Effect 3 sent fans into a rage they've had Game of Thrones and The Rise of Skywalker to focus their ire, but this game's ending deserves no such hostility. The failure of 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda thwarted Bioware's plans to expand the universe (exploring a different galaxy) but a sequel to the original trilogy was announced in December. In the meantime, this is audacious, epic storytelling filled with wonderful characters and spectacular locations, the likes of which we've not seen since and we're unlikely to see for some time.

Buy Mass Effect Legendary Edition — out now for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.