The Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition

by BioWare

Expanded with never before seen works of art, this new edition delves deeper than ever into the sci-fi saga that changed video games forever.Contains extensive new material from the DLCs for all three games--including the award-winning "Lair of the Shadow Broker" from Mass Effect 2 and the fan-favorite "Citadel" from Mass Effect 3. Experience the evolution of the aliens, planets, ships, and technology that define this iconic science fiction universe, as the developers who brought BioWare's masterpiece to life take you from the earliest design sketches through to the meticulous final renders.Brimming with concept art and commentary, this expanded edition is the ultimate companion to one of the greatest series in the history of gaming!

Genres: Art, Video Games, Science Fiction, Gaming, Media Tie In, Reference, Art and Photography

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2021

About the author

BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in May 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, Marcel Zeschuk and Augustine Yip. As of 2007, the company is owned by American publisher Electronic Arts.

BioWare specializes in role-playing video games, and achieved recognition for developing highly praised and successful licensed franchises: Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. They proceeded to make several other successful games based on original intellectual property: Jade Empire, the Mass Effect series, and the Dragon Age series. In 2011, BioWare launched their first massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Reviews

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This as all the same features as the original artbook, with some added content:

- 76(ish) new pages added
- Mostly concept art that's been added, but some text as well
- All new content is about the DLCs and ME3 endings ONLY

[Justine Cucchi-Dietlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I received this book as a wedding gift. We got married two years ago.

I am totally on top of my TBR.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a massive fan of Mass Effect, the enormous ammounts of sketches will keep you throughly entertained. There are interesting notes from the game developers, as well as some context on design choices.

Sometimes there are ideas that were never implemented being showcased that the developers justify not being in the games due to a different direction, but I already knew that in large part that was due to the development process being rushed by the higher-ups: which is a massive shame.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This updated and expanded visual compendium to the original trilogy provides a comprehensive overview of just how much work, planning, and craft went in to making these games the visual feasts that they were. Beautifully laid out with succinct explanatory text, this one should adorn any fan’s bookshelf or coffee table.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book full of amazing art, commentary and in-depth looks at everything in the ME universe. Mass Effect is my favorite thing, and I couldn't be happier about finally grabbing this after missing the original printing. Having all the extra content for the DLC is a nice bonus. There are a few small things I would've loved to see that were omitted, but considering how much content/art/lore they have done for this series, I am sure it was hard enough to narrow down to just the 200+ pages in the book.

It contains some of my favorite ME artwork ever, as well as some really cool pieces I hadn't seen before! The book quality is fantastic and printed exactly like all of the ATLA expanded universe stories. I love all the small details and notes, especially on random stuff like how Salarians were originally designed as Bioware's take on "the grey alien," among so many others. I fully recommend to any long time ME fan or new fans getting ready for the release of the remaster. 5/5

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

While playing any given game, it's easy to forget the level of planning that may have gone into its design. Even though I've played all of the games in Mass Effect trilogy multiple times, until I started looking through this coffee table book I had forgotten about h0w massive in scope the games were.

As might be expected there's some gorgeous artwork within, highlighting all aspects of the games: Shepard and her squad mates (FemShep FTW!!!), NPCs, enemies, planets, bases, ships, weapons, multiplayer levels and so forth. Just increases my excitement for the remastered trilogy coming this May.

[Salla Hiltunen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laajennettu versio The Art of the Mass Effect Universe -kirjasta. Aiemman teoksen sisällön lisäksi tässä on mukana konseptitaidetta myös pelien ladattavasta sisällöstä sekä Mass Effect 3:n moninpelimoodista ja vaihtoehtoisista lopuista.

Tähän pätee sama teksti, jonka kirjoitin alkuperäisestä kirjasta: "Hieno kokoelma konseptitaidetta kommentteineen Mass Effect -trilogiasta. Kirjan avulla pääsee uppoutumaan vielä syvemmälle muun muassa pelien hahmoihin, paikkoihin ja aseisiin sekä niiden suunnitteluun. Tässä riittää ihasteltavaa ja ihmeteltävää pitkäksi aikaa! Olisin mielelläni lukenut pitempiäkin selityksiä esitellyistä asioista."

Jos pähkäilee näiden kahden kirjan välillä, kannattaa toki valita tämä. Tämä on myös erinomainen lahjaidea ME-fanille.

[Álvaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soy muy fan de los libros de arte de películas, videojuegos, etc., y por supuesto no podía faltar en mi colección uno de Mass Effect. Este libro es una gozada: los concept art, las ilustraciones de personajes, escenarios... Especialmente me ha gustado la parte en que explican cómo crearon las distintas especies alien y todos los bocetos que hicieron antes de cerrar los diseños. En definitiva, un gran libro tanto para ilustradores como para amantes del arte de videojuegos.

[Shaun Briers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable insight into the creative processses behind the Mass Effect Trilogy featuring some unmissable art. It's unfortunate that it lacks some verbal detail, though, with major characters only getting a few sentences dedicated to them throughout the book. And even then, the detail is more like "x implies y" or "this was supposed to suggest..." as opposed to deep-dive into the design of the characters, settings, and so on. Serious Mass Effect Fans will still love it.

[Itamar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has very nice concept art and some glimpses at the thinking behind it, but I find that I want more from my art books - I'd like to learn more on the process of making this art and game, more behind-the-scenes information and perhaps stories about the people involved.

A good example for this type of book would be Art and Arcana I'd read last year.

[Ana TM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Mass Effect universe, so of course I was going to love this book. However, I would have liked to have more information about the creative process behind the designs. I was also sad to see how often female characters were designed that way to be "attractive" or "titillating".

[Anastasiia Polieshko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Молодість в око попала 💔
Красиво капєц! Цікаво було поспостерігати за розвитком думки дизайнерів у ході створення образів персонажів. Ще класно було побачити наробітки, котрі так і лишились "в столі". Ну і переграти заново всі частини захотілось.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and really neat concept art. Perfect for any fan of the trilogy and looking forward to the remaster.

[Jonathan Jedrasik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book that delves into the ideas and designs that shaped the mass effect universe. Also contains lots of fascinating tidbits that enhance the overall games.

[Sagiwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Artbook is amazing!
Sadly there are no concept art on Fem Shepard or Aria even if she's on the cover.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty. I wish there were more stories about why certain designs were picked.

[Mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great behind the scenes peek.

Kinda wish we had more behind the scenes stuff though.

[Steph Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these games and its art is amazing. I love seeing the concept art in this book and seeing the thought processes behind characters and the worlds.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

hello, I hekkin love Mass Effect

[Ron S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous visuals!!

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into how my favourite series in the history of video games was created. I could look through this book over and over again for hours.

[Bud Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stroll down memory lane

[Wester Wagenaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best way to deal with the grief of having just finished the trilogy for the first time.

[Vanessa Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para quem espera um making of, não é. O foco do livro realmente é as artes e tem muito detalhes nesse livro. Obrigatório para o fã de Mass Effect

[Cell · Rating 4 out of 5]

花了一百多小時才玩完這部三部曲史詩般的大作
像是 Citadel 在遊戲的畫面比較優美
而遊戲中忙著交戰、趕路的場景還是在畫冊比較能靜心欣賞

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite art book on the Citadel!

Must-read for Mass Effect fans who need more Mass Effect content in their lives.

I’m a sucker for filling the void left in my heart after Mass Effect 3, and this art book was perfect at accomplishing that goal. There is so much packed in the pages, I never once felt disappointed. From concept art, to lore, to blurbs from the developers, to full page art pieces of characters from the series, I was in love.

Very, very happy with the amount of content and the content itself. As an added bonus, it looks great on my shelf next to my Garrus Vakarian plush!

[jzmcdaisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently, an indoctrinated Illusive Man was supposed to be a beastly final boss instead of the convoluted nonsense garbage that they actually put into the game. When I looked at his form in here, I got a bittersweet feeling of closure knowing the imagination of Mass Effect lives beyond its shitty ending. Hell, I even want to cook up a D&D campaign that forces my friends' OCs to make decisions about galactic ethics. On top of that, I'm excited that same imagination is going to create the next Mass Effect as well. It's been a year since that trailer and fans are waiting, Bioware. Please don't give us another Andromeda.

Personal salt aside, this is a beautiful art book. I became obsessed with Star Wars as a little kid, but as I grew up I saw the stories as overly simplistic. When I took creative writing classes, I fell in love with George Saunders' borderline sci-fi stories. And for as much as I love his stories, I think I was hoping to find a little bit of Star Wars pizzazz between the covers too. And then I found this series. Not only were the bells and whistles of space combat present, but it pushed me through a series of moral quandaries and told a great story tool.

Everything from the characters to circles on the wall has lore in the Mass Effect world. Its a series that's a love letter to sci-fi that has amazing art to support it. The thought processes behind the art were wonderful reads if you're as into Mass Effect as I am. And yes, I actually managed to enjoy Kai Leng's entry in here too. Get this book. It's beautiful and insightful all at once.