According to Kieken's words, Mass Effect 2 was the chapter that required less "cruch" by the developers, therefore forced to fewer sacrifices and hours of overtime during its making:
"Mass Effect 2 was the most positively received game of the series. But did you know that it was also the one with the least crunch , and the closest to initial budget and deadlines? This always reminds me that you don't need to wreak havoc on your team or use crazy budgets to have fantastic results. It's all about having a clear vision and making the right choices during development" .
There are several games that have ended up at the center of controversy related to crunch time in recent years, among which we certainly find Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Projekt RED and The Last of Us Part 2 by Naughty Dog.
Recall that the epic of Commander Shepard can be experienced again by the players thanks to the arrival of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, expected to launch on May 14, 2021. BioWare showcased some of the graphical improvements that the Sci-Fi trilogy will benefit from. compared to the original chapters.