Mass Effect, the first game of the trilogy, received more extensive upgrades than its counterparts, specifically with regard to graphics, combat mechanics, vehicle handling, and loading times.

[N 1] The trilogy consists of action role-playing games in which the player assumes the role of Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who must unite the galactic community against a highly advanced machine race of synthetic-organic starships known as Reapers.

The second and third entries feature similar gameplay to their original versions but have received some adjustments, such as the rebalancing of the "Galactic Readiness" system from Mass Effect 3.

Combat has been updated in an attempt to feel more consistent with the sequels, including improved aim assist with a stickier lock-on, a dedicated melee button, rebalanced weapons, and smarter enemy and squad artificial intelligence.

[11] Exploration around the world has also been tweaked, such as reduced time spent in elevators that are utilized as a way to hide loading screens, which was a commonly criticized aspect of the original game.

BioWare eventually determined that the amount of work required to do so was significant, and would involve remaking large aspects of the games, such as redoing all cinematic scenes.

[22] As part of the remastering process, BioWare increased resolutions for all textures throughout the trilogy, which was accomplished by utilizing an artificial intelligence upscaling program and other custom tools.

[24] After reviewing each game for potential changes, the team concluded that certain camera angles of female characters were either gratuitous or in need of improvement, so they moved ahead with alterations to some original shots.

[15] Although it runs and features targeted enhancements on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S through backward compatibility, BioWare has no plans to release versions of Legendary Edition specifically for those consoles.

[35] In his evaluation of Mass Effect 3, Robert Ramsey of Push Square noted that the inclusion of expansions that were not available with the base version of the game resulted in a meaningfully enhanced experience.

Writing for The Washington Post, Jhaan Elker recommended the compilation to fans and newcomers alike, with the qualification that some players may still prefer the original version of the games with mods.

[43] In a performance review for Eurogamer, Thomas Morgan highlighted the ambition and effort of the collection, and concluded that the final result was a "perfect jumping on point for the series".

[44] In her review for Game Informer, Kimberly Wallace lauded the Mass Effect trilogy as a whole, and expressed gratitude towards the remaster for keeping attention on the series and giving players an opportunity to easily play through the story in its most complete form, with all DLC included.

[47] During an investor call on August 4, 2021, Electronic Arts Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson revealed that the game performed "well above" expectations, although exact sales figures were not disclosed.