First Skyrim, then Resident Evil, and now Mass Effect. For one reason or another, modders are drawn to replacing the most iconic aspect of a game with Thomas the Tank Engine.
That's right, it's happened again. In a mod launching today, Thomas is assuming control of the Reapers in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, and it's truly something to behold.
Related: Too Many Reapers In Mass Effect 3? New Mod Wipes Them All Out
“The Legendary Edition has brought about a new era of modding”, the mod’s description opens. “I, Exkywor, the seeker of memes, the destroyer of this modding community's ruling structure, bring to you the pinnacle and foundation of this new age, the ultimate mod, one mod to rule them all and in the darkness bind them… Thomas, the Reaper Engine LE.”
Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. In the cinematic reveal trailer, you can see for yourself as hardened soldiers react in utter horror as Thomas the Tank Engine descends from the sky, his ever-smiling face indifferent to the death and destruction he blights the Galaxy with.
Thomas the Reaper Engine is actually a port of a mod from the original release of Mass Effect 3. Due to changes with the remastered Legendary Edition trilogy, mods made for the originals need to be created all over again.
Creator Exkywor thanked other modders for their assistance in porting the Thomas mod to the remasters, but not everyone in the community has decided to move their work over. As we previously reported, the creator behind the popular ThaneMOD removed all of her work from Nexus to prevent others from porting it over without her permission.
That aside, the Mass Effect modding community appears to be in good form with the release of Legendary Edition. As Exkywor says in the description of Thomas the Reaper Engine, the remaster has brought about a new era of modding, as these versions of the game are much easier to work with. This is due to the remasters of Mass Effect 2 and 3 using an updated audio engine, making restoring cut content much easier. With so much energy in the community right now, we can expect a lot more wild projects such as this one.
