Trilogie / Reihenfolge
Galaxy map
Arrival spielt man in Mass Effect 2 zuletzt. Der Citadel-Landurlaub kommt vor Priorität: Cerberus-Hauptquartier.
Legendary Edition installs the story DLC whether you wanted the distraction or not. The galaxy map will offer Overlord, Shadow Broker, and a shore leave on the Citadel while the main plot is on fire. Order is the only thing that keeps those missions from spoiling their own sequels.
Two missions are hard gates. Arrival should be the last thing you do in Mass Effect 2. Priority: Cerberus Headquarters is the point of no return in Mass Effect 3, and the ending check happens in the conversation before you launch it.
Prologue through the first Citadel visit and the Spectre induction.
Therum, Feros, Noveria, and side quests in any order. Bring Down the Sky fits here. Leave Virmire until you can pass Wrex's check and you have decided who dies.
Ilos and the ending. Do the asteroid mission before this if you want it on this Shepard.
Lazarus, Freedom's Progress, then dossiers. Kasumi on the Citadel and Zaeed on Omega are available early because both DLCs are in the box. Horizon interrupts after enough dossiers.
Collector Ship, then loyalties. Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker sit well in this stretch. Buy the three ship upgrades as the loyalties unlock them. Save Legion's loyalty for immediately after the Reaper IFF.
Suicide mission as soon as the crew is taken. Arrival after that, and after Arrival stop. It is the on-ramp to Mass Effect 3.
Earth, Mars, Citadel, Palaven. From Ashes as soon as Eden Prime is marked, so Javik exists for the rest of the game.
Tuchanka and the genophage, the Citadel coup, then Omega. Leviathan can be picked up in pieces. Rannoch only after Geth Fighter Squadrons, or peace is impossible.
Citadel shore leave once Tali and the Virmire survivor are aboard, and before you accept Priority: Cerberus Headquarters. That launch is the point of no return. Check war assets first.
Recruit freely until Horizon forces itself. Kasumi and Zaeed can join early. Fit Stolen Memory and Zaeed's loyalty whenever the paragon or renegade bar can stand Zaeed's check. Play Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker once your crew feels like a crew and before Arrival. Buy Silaris Armor, Multicore Shielding, and the Thanix Cannon as soon as those loyalties unlock the projects.
Then the IFF, then Legion's loyalty only, then the suicide mission, then Arrival. Anything between the abduction and the relay spends crew lives. Anything after Arrival is you flying around after the story has already left for Earth.
From Ashes first, when Eden Prime lights up, because Javik comments on missions you have not done yet. Tuchanka before you are locked out of the cure. The Citadel coup before Omega, since Aria's story assumes that political break. Geth Fighter Squadrons before Priority: Rannoch, or the peace dialogue never appears. Citadel shore leave after Tali is aboard and the Virmire survivor has rejoined, so the party has its cast, and before Cerberus Headquarters. Leviathan can be threaded through the middle. Scan and finish side quests before that same briefing. The terminal in the headquarters will not rescue a low total.
| Game | Phase | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Mass Effect | Open | Prologue through the first Citadel visit and the Spectre induction. |
| Mass Effect | Four worlds | Therum, Feros, Noveria, and side quests in any order. Bring Down the Sky fits here. Leave Virmire until you can pass Wrex's check and you have decided who dies. |
| Mass Effect | Lock | Ilos and the ending. Do the asteroid mission before this if you want it on this Shepard. |
| Mass Effect 2 | Recruit | Lazarus, Freedom's Progress, then dossiers. Kasumi on the Citadel and Zaeed on Omega are available early because both DLCs are in the box. Horizon interrupts after enough dossiers. |
| Mass Effect 2 | Loyalty | Collector Ship, then loyalties. Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker sit well in this stretch. Buy the three ship upgrades as the loyalties unlock them. Save Legion's loyalty for immediately after the Reaper IFF. |
| Mass Effect 2 | End | Suicide mission as soon as the crew is taken. Arrival after that, and after Arrival stop. It is the on-ramp to Mass Effect 3. |
| Mass Effect 3 | Early | Earth, Mars, Citadel, Palaven. From Ashes as soon as Eden Prime is marked, so Javik exists for the rest of the game. |
| Mass Effect 3 | Mid | Tuchanka and the genophage, the Citadel coup, then Omega. Leviathan can be picked up in pieces. Rannoch only after Geth Fighter Squadrons, or peace is impossible. |
| Mass Effect 3 | Lock | Citadel shore leave once Tali and the Virmire survivor are aboard, and before you accept Priority: Cerberus Headquarters. That launch is the point of no return. Check war assets first. |
Open next: the suicide mission roles; the war-asset check at the door; Rannoch points that have to exist before Priority: Rannoch.
The game allows it. You should not. It is the narrative handoff to Mass Effect 3, and it does nothing for the Collector base. Do it after everyone you meant to save is already saved.
After Rannoch if Tali lived, after the coup if the Virmire survivor lived, and after From Ashes if you want Javik. Before Priority: Cerberus Headquarters. After that mission the shore leave is gone.
It is the ME1 story DLC, a batarian asteroid plot. Do it after you can fly the Normandy and before Ilos. It is not Pinnacle Station, and it is in the box.
