Summary

This mod reimagines the default loading screens in Mass Effect Legendary Edition by replacing them with custom artwork, drawn from the raw assets of BioWare's Key Art Generator and meticulously hand-assembled by me in GIMP.



When I first encountered these artworks, I was struck by their beauty and I decided to incorporate them into my own loading screens. However, the original tool's limitations—restricted to only 8 characters—posed significant challenges to this process. For example, I would've been forced me to include some LE2 or LE3 characters in the LE1 artwork, instead of just the vanilla 6 characters. I also would've been unable to include the full suite of characters in the later games, limiting my overall possibilities.

Dissatisfied with these constraints, I took on the challenge of assembling the raw assets by hand (available here, courtesy of Audemus). Taking cues from the original artwork, I channeled my efforts into crafting a trio of arrangements that I felt surpassed the originals and were more representative of the beloved ensemble cast. These new arrangements not only capture the essence of each game in the trilogy, but are a joy to explore, remaining visually distinct and aesthetically pleasing. It was crucial to me that the final product avoid any sense of monotony or 'samey-ness' from developing between games.

The end result is collection that I hope you will find both satisfying and enduring, and that will breathe new life in the games' booting process. For a comprehensive breakdown of the contents, please refer to the following sections. Alternatively, if you're eager to get started, skip ahead to the downloads page (make sure to download the correct size for your monitor!).

I hope you get as much joy from using this mod as much as I have in making it!

What Is Included

Within this mod, you'll find a collection of distinctive splash images carefully tailored to each game. Every image showcases key characters from their respective stories, with a particular emphasis on the most influential figures for that particular installment. These were characters that I felt either possessed the most significant narrative arcs or remained highly memorable for the average player. For instance, Archangel is one of the most iconic characters from Mass Effect 2, featuring prominently in the LE2 artwork (alongside the enigmatic Thane). Similarly, the LE3 images focus on both Legion and Wrex, due to their embodying the moral lessons of the story, while LE1 highlights Tali and Liara due to their close ties to the main plot.

That said, I still felt it was important to recognise the other characters for their contributions. Each holds a special place in our hearts and deserves our appreciation (yes, even James!). As a result, they're positioned near the central leads and cascade outwards in a roughly descending order of narrative importance, until the entire ensemble cast has found their place (even Anderson gets a special appearance for LE3). This arrangement aims to create a layout that appeals to various player preferences, minimizing any inherent bias in character choices. While many of my artistic decisions are subjective, my endeavour has been to ensure each character receives equitable representation and all playstyles are accommodated for.

For customisation, you'll find a choice between two selectable key scenes for the artwork (originaly, five were available in the raw assets). These selections are intended to best capture the overall mood and atmosphere of each game. By default, LE1 features the Citadel, LE2 showcases the Collector Base, and LE3 portrays the Reaper invasion. However, if the defaults don't resonate with you, an alternative choice is available for each game during installation (Eden Prime, Omega, and the Citadel for LE1, LE2, and LE3, respectively). In the future, I might add the option to select from all five of the original artworks for each game, time permitting.

Furthermore, a unique red-blue colour scheme, reminiscent of the Paragon/Renegade system, is assigned to each game by default. This not only enhances the distinctiveness of each image but also naturally reflects the series' progression. Should you wish, you can manually choose your preferred colours, embracing an all-Paragon or all-Renegade aesthetic to match your style.

Lastly, this mod supports 4K, 1080p and Vanilla resolutions (650 x 366 pixels), ensuring compatibility with various monitors. However, please note that the game won't automatically adjust the splash images to fit your screen. Therefore, it's essential to download the appropriate size for your monitor. If you mistakenly select an incorrect size, the artwork might appear obscured or zoomed-in. To avoid this, you should make sure to download the maximum supported size for your monitor based on your native resolution i.e. if your native resolution is lower than 4k but higher than 1080p, opt for the 1080p version (even if you upscale to 4k in-game).

Ready to enhance your Mass Effect journey? Head on over to the downloads page to get started!

Key Features

• Unique, hand-assembled artwork for each game, based upon the original assets drawn from BioWare's Key Art Generator.
• Each artwork is arranged in a unique layout, highlighting the relevant characters from each story.
• Bonus Anderson artwork is also included for LE3 (RIP...), which is not normally available through the Key Art Generator
  

Customisation Options

• Two selectable key scenes for each game, both of which are relevant to the plot.
• An evolving (fully customisable!) colour-scheme across the trilogy, based on the Paragon/Renegade system.
  

Download Options

• 4K version (supports 4k resolutions and up).
• 1080p version (supports 1080p resolutions and up).
• Vanilla-sized version (supports all resolutions).
  

Requirements

• Install using ME3Tweaks mod manager.
• Can safely install after texture mods, as this mod only replaces the splash images (shown at launch).
  

Mod Compatibility

• Incompatible with any mod which also replaces 'Splash.bmp'.
  

Feedback

Your feedback is welcome! Leave a post in the comments and I will reply to you as soon as I can!

(Please be kind if you disagree with my choices!)

Support My Work

If you would like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. However, please note that this is completely optional. My mods are available for free and without expectation!

Credits

• BioWare for all the happy memories shared over the years.
• Audemus for providing the art assets to the community.
• munchyfly for linking to the art assets and thus making this possible.
  

Alternative Mods

• Key Art Splash Images
• Splash Replacers (the original inspiration for this mod)
• FemShep Splash Images
• Lithograph Splash Images
• Blonde FemShep Splash Images