Mass Effect Legendary Edition Expanded Galaxy Mod Is Slowly Becoming The EGM From The Original Trilogy

The Expanded Galaxy mod was one of the most beloved mods for BioWare’s original Mass Effect trilogy. With the remaster out now, and with so many enjoying it, the modding community (from the user side) has wondered if it will be back in its full glory. With the recent coding change, modders now have access to the assets and tools needed to bring their vision to life, including bringing back the Expanded Galaxy Mod for Mass Effect Legendary Edition. While it’s not back in its full form currently, here’s a breakdown of what you can access now and what plans down the road look like. 

In its original iteration, the Expanded Galaxy mod allowed for instant access to the entire galaxy map right from the get-go; it also carried over certain weapons into the corresponding games, customizing the Normandy, new missions, and so much more. It was an expansive experience that enriched the story told by BioWare immensely, and now it’s available for the remaster as an evolving project. 

According to Kinkojiro, the modder that uploaded the remaster’s EGM, “This mod will gradually become more like the full EGM experience, as more content is added.” In its current state, however, there are a few quality of life improvements that carried over from the original mod version that players can utilize when playing through the Legendary Edition

So what’s available now? According to the mod listing: 

Core Gameplay

• When launching a mission from the Normandy, the armor screen automatically allows selection along with the weapons and powers as usual.
• During a combat mission, press “P” to port-arms (lower your weapon). Whilst not holstering, it has a similar impact without having to save/reload Shepard.
• During a combat mission, press “H” to toggle helmets for Shepard and the squad on and off.
• During a combat mission, press “ctrl” + “L”  will allow you to change weapons and armor and save the new Loadout.  It won’t trigger under fire.

DLC & N7 Mission Timings

• Load the EGM Settings from the mod manager tools menu and select LE3. Ideally set before you board the Normandy (once unlocked, the mission stays unlocked).
• You can now select the timings of DLC missions (Eden Prime, Omega, Citadel, and Leviathan).
• You can also select the timings of the 6 N7 missions (when Traynor will announce them).  Any side quests can still be completed.

Normandy

• Security Scanner can be set to on / walk-through (c0.5s delay) / Sprint through in EGM Settings.
• War assets can be viewed from the CIC terminal, and the notifications light has been fixed.
• Mails have the format – Surname, Name – Title.

Since it’s impossible to easily convert files from the original trilogy over into the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, despite the updated version of the modding tools for the remaster, the changes reflected are all done on an individual basis. Because of that, restoring the full vision of the Expanded Galaxy Mod is going to take some time, but the ball has already begun rolling with the current version available here. 

If you’re interested, you can download this mod right here! Be sure to also check for updates, as well. If you haven’t modded Mass Effect Legendary Edition yet, you’ll need to have Mod Manager downloaded. You can get that, for free, right here. To see a little more about the original EGM experience, check out the teaser trailer from five years ago in the video below: