The release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is right around the corner, and fans of the Mass Effect series are gearing up to experience the beloved games in their new iteration. The Legendary Edition will include all three games and their associated DLC; altogether, that’s a lot of content for players to enjoy.
One of the key aspects of the Mass Effect series are the choices embedded throughout its plot. Players can finish the games with vastly different outcomes based on all the different directions a playthrough can take; some choices, made throughout all three games, will result in players getting what is generally considered the ‘best’ possible ending.
The Rachni Queen – One of the major choices in the first Mass Effect is whether to spare the Rachni Queen or kill her. The Rachni were presumed extinct after being nearly wiped out hundreds of years previously, in a war where the Rachni abruptly went feral and almost killed the other races of the galaxy. As such, freeing this Queen is a risk, but it’s one that players looking for the perfect playthrough need to take. This choice will come back around in later games, so make sure that the Rachni Queen is alive and well by the end of Shepard’s ME1 encounter.
Wrex – During the Virmire mission, things will get a little heated between Shepard and Wrex. The later will stomp off, and it’s up to Shepard to calm him down. That doesn’t necessarily happen, though; it’s possible for the confrontation to end in violence, and Shepard will shoot and kill Wrex. However, for the best possible playthrough, Wrex should survive Virmire. He’s critical to later events in Mass Effect, and he’s also just a great character.
The Council – At the end of the first Mass Effect, players are faced with one final major decision: whether to call in the human fleets, sacrificing lives but saving those of the alien Council, or to leave the Council to die and preserve the strength of the human Alliance. It may be tempting to leave the Council to their fate, especially after how dismissive they can be of Shepard’s warnings, but overall, it’s better to save them. Yes, human ships are destroyed, but the Council’s gratitude doesn’t end in the first Mass Effect; it keeps going.
Loyalty Missions – In Mass Effect 2, there are really only two kinds of main story missions: recruitment and loyalty missions. Recruitment missions are all well and good, but things can get complicated with loyalty missions. Really, it all comes down to how many paragon or renegade points Shepard has; make sure one of the two is well on its way to being filled by the time many of the loyalty missions pop up, especially those like Zaeed, Tali, Jack, and Miranda. Jack and Miranda are even worth a special mention, because if Shepard isn’t a high enough paragon or renegade, it’ll be impossible to keep both of them loyal.
Finally, there’s a point in the game where Shepard will be tasked with uncovering a Reaper IFF. Be sure to finish up all loyalty missions before doing this, as Shepard will only have enough time for one more mission before events are set into motion that lead to the end of the game, and choosing to delay them will put a dent in that perfect playthrough.
Maelon’s Data – During Mordin’s loyalty mission, Shepard and Mordin will hunt down the salarian doctor’s old protege, Maelon. Upon finding Maelon, it becomes clear that Maelon has been doing horrible things to assist a worthy cause, and it falls to Shepard to deal with the resulting data. This is one of the decision that will carry into Shepard’s dealings with the krogan in Mass Effect 3, and for the best outcome, it’s imperative that Shepard saves the data, tainted as it is.
During the final mission of Mass Effect 2, Shepard will be faced with a series of choices, each of which drastically affect who lives and dies by the end of the game. Right off the bat, it’s important to make sure that the Normandy is fully upgraded with defenses and weapons before attempting the endgame; those upgrades will be made available by talking with squad members throughout the game, so check in with them regularly after missions.
Then, Shepard will have to decide who is going to lead the first fire team, and who is going to enter the vents. To avoid character deaths, Legion, Tali, or Kasumi must enter the vents, and Garrus, Miranda, or Jacob must lead the other fire team. Later on, one team member must serve as a shield against the Collector insects; this should be either Samara or Jack. Then, for the second fire team, once again the choice comes down to Garrus, Miranda, or Jacob.
As for escorts for the survivors of the Normandy, Mordin works best for this (though anyone can technically do it). Finally, there’s the choice of final squad for confronting whatever lies at the heart of the Collector base. For this, the main thing to remember is that taking more than one “heavy hitter” pretty much spells disaster for the rest of the team. The heaviest hitters of the squad are Zaeed, Grunt, and Garrus; it’s okay to bring one of them, but bringing two puts everyone else in jeopardy. Instead, try selecting the other ME2 companion from this list: Jack, Tali, Kasumi, Miranda, Thane, or Samara.
The Genophage – One of the first alliances Shepard attempts to broker in Mass Effect 3 will be between humans and krogan. Shepard’s main point of contact on behalf of the krogan will be Wrex (assuming he’s alive, as recommended above), and thus a good relationship with him helps here. Wrex’s only real stipulation for an alliance is a cure to the krogan genophage, once and for all. However, the salarian dalatrass will attempt to make Shepard an alternate offer behind Wrex’s back.
Essentially, Wrex and Mordin will be set on getting a cure to the genophage; the dalatrass, on the other hand, wants Shepard to secretly sabotage the cure, letting Wrex, Mordin, and all krogan think they’re cured when, in fact, they’re not. If this sounds like the “evil” thing to do, that’s because it is, and agreeing to the dalatrass’s proposal won’t result in a “perfect” ending.
Ending the war for Rannoch – Later on in the game, the conflict between quarians and geth will have reached a breaking point, and Shepard’s interference will decide which side wins the war. Players need to make sure to save Admiral Zaal’Koris, and that Shepard’s paragon or renegade is maxed, as the best choice here is that neither side “wins”; rather, Shepard can use their paragon/renegade to persuade (or intimidate, as far as renegade goes) the quarians and geth to cease fighting immediately and work together.
The Final Choice – When Shepard reaches the Crucible, they’ll have to make one last choice, deciding the fate of the Reapers, and the rest of the galaxy. To be honest, this choice is one of the most subjective on this list, even for those looking for a perfect playthrough. If a player’s definition of “perfect” means that Shepard (probably) survives, then choose “Destroy.” Otherwise, even though each choice leads to different endings for Mass Effect, it really just depends on the individual player’s idea of a perfect playthrough.
This applies to all three games: pick either paragon or renegade for Shepard, and stick with it all the way. Morally, Shepard can perform actions or choose dialogue options that grant them paragon points or renegade points. It’s also possible to pick a balance of both, and end up with a Shepard who’s more “paragade,” but here’s the thing: some choices of critical importance in all three games can only be picked by those with high enough paragon or renegade points. So, for those aiming for a perfect playthrough, it’s imperative to go full paragon or full renegade.
Of course, renegades tend to leave a mess behind them even when they do have all the choices in front of them. BioWare previously revealed that 9 out of 10 players did paragon playthroughs of Mass Effect, as paragon Shepards tend to make the best choices all around, minus the renegade carnage.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition releases for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in spring 2021.
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