Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a trilogy filled to the gills with choices. When players aren't blasting away geth and bandits, the rest of their time is spent making decisions through dialogue. The consequences of these choices play out in both major and minor ways. It's highly recommended to look at the Mass Effect Wiki's morality guides for the consequences of every decision the player can make in all three games.
This guide, however, is concerned primarily with the major choices in the Mass Effect trilogy. In the end, players looking to accomplish a "perfect" playthrough should make the decisions outlined here. Theoretically, picking these options gives the galaxy the best chance to be a better place when all is said and done.
Updated July 15, 2021 by Mark Hospodar: Like any popular RPG series, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition has seen its modding community grow in the two months since its release. Players can find a wide variety of mods available that tweak aspects of this trilogy in both large and small ways.
Graphics mods, for one, are quite popular and definitely deserve a player's perusal. Methods to unlock console commands and cheating mechanisms are also listed for those who don't like waiting to get their hands on the best gear. There are even modifications that restore previously-cut content to the trilogy. Whatever they're looking for, players can expect Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's collection of mods to only get larger as time goes on.
Mass Effect
Free 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.
Don't Kill Wrex
During the Virmire mission, things will get a little heated between Shepard and Wrex. The latter will stomp off, and it's up to Shepard to calm him down. That doesn't necessarily happen, though; the confrontation can end in violence, and Shepard will shoot and kill Wrex. However, for the best possible playthrough, Wrex should survive Virmire. Utilize either Method 1 or Method 2 to ensure Wrex's survival on Virmire:
- Use Charm ("These Aren't Your People!") OR Intimidate ("Don't Be So Naive")
- Complete the Assignment - Wrex: Family Armor (When speaking to Wrex on Virmire, select either "I Wouldn't Do This Otherwise" OR "We Are")
Note that Method 1 requires a Charm/Intimidate score of 8 to succeed. Method 2 requires no persuasion, just the completion of Wrex's side quest before heading to Virmire. As such, the latter option is recommended.
Save 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. To accomplish this feat, simply tell Joker to "Save the Council" when the dialogue choice becomes available.
Mass Effect 2
Complete Every Loyalty Mission
In Mass Effect 2, the fates of the player's various squad members are entirely in Shepard's hands. To guarantee that perfect playthrough, every squad member must be loyal to Shepard before embarking on the Suicide Mission. These are all the Loyalty missions that need to be completed:
- Jacob: The Gift of Greatness
- Miranda: The Prodigal
- Jack: Subject Zero
- Mordin: Old Blood
- Grunt: Rite of Passage
- Garrus: Eye for an Eye
- Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi
- Tali: Treason
- Thane: Sins of the Father
- Legion: A House Divided
- Zaeed: The Price of Revenge
- Kasumi: Stealing Memory
For certain squad members, completing their requisite mission still doesn't guarantee their Loyalty. Some Loyalty missions need to end in a particular way to ensure that squad member's devotion.
- In "Tali: Treason," Tali must either be cleared of all charges without new evidence OR exiled from the fleet. If Tali's father is implicated, Tali will not be loyal.
- In "Zaeed: The Price of Revenge," the workers must be sacrificed. Saving the workers requires a Charm persuasion check to maintain Zaeed's Loyalty.
- In "Thane: Sins of the Father," Kolyat must not kill Talid. If he does, Thane will not be loyal.
- In "Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi," Morinth must be trapped. If Morinth slips away without confronting her, then Samara will not be loyal.
Squad Member Confrontations
Unfortunately, there are still other factors that can potentially jeopardize a squad member's Loyalty. There are two confrontations that will occur between squad members, namely between Tali and Legion as well as Miranda and Jack. A successful Charm/Intimidate is necessary to maintain the Loyalty of both parties. If the player fails the check, only one of the bickering squadmates will be loyal. Here's the solution to these tricky dilemmas:
- Tali VS. Legion: Select either "You Are Both Right" OR "Knock This Crap Off"
- Miranda VS. Jack: Select either "This Is A Distraction" OR "This Ends Now!"
It's worth noting that if the initial persuasion attempt fails, players will have one more opportunity to patch things up with the disloyal squad member. Simply talk to the disgruntled party member again once the player's Charm/Intimidate rating has improved.
The Point Of No Return In Mass Effect 2
Finally, there's a point in the game where Shepard will be tasked with uncovering a Reaper IFF. Be sure to finish all loyalty missions before doing this, as Shepard will only have enough time for one more mission before events are set into motion that leads to the end of the game, and choosing to delay them will put a dent in that perfect playthrough.
Wasting too much time results in the deaths of the Normandy's crew, except for Dr. Chakwas.
Save 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 decisions that will carry over 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. The Krogan should deserve a second chance, right?
The Suicide Mission In ME 2
Essential Normandy SR-2 Upgrades
During the final mission of Mass Effect 2, Shepard will be faced with a series of choices, each of which drastically affects 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. The upgrades are listed as follows:
- Thanix Cannon
- Heavy Ship Armor
- Multicore Shielding
The First Fire Team Leader & The Tech Specialist
Shepard will have to decide who is going to enter the vents, and who is going to lead the first fire team. To successfully pull off these maneuvers while avoiding any deaths, choose any of these squad members as the tech specialist who will enter the vents:
- Legion
- Tali
- Kasumi
Next, Shepard will then have to decide who should lead the fire team. Again, selecting any of these choices will result in a good outcome:
- Garrus
- Miranda
- Jacob
The Biotic Specialist
There will come a point when the raiding party's progress is stopped by a Seeker Swarm. A biotic specialist is required to maintain a shield so that the other members of the party can pass through the obstacles unharmed. Select any of these squad members to avoid any deaths:
- Samara/Morinth
- Jack
The Second Fire Team Leader & The Escort
After that, Shepard will then be forced to select another fire team leader. Once again, any of these choices will do:
- Garrus
- Miranda
- Jacob
Next, the player will be notified about escorting the Normandy survivors back to the ship. For the best outcome, the player should assign any one of these squadmates to lead the escort:
- Mordin
- Tali
- Kasumi
- Jack
Holding The Line
The final major decision of the Suicide Mission the player must make concerns who should be left behind to hold the line against the Collector assault. More defensive-minded squadmates perform much better in this scenario. These are potential squadmates who should be left behind to face the assault:
- Grunt
- Garrus
- Zaeed
It's also worth reiterating once again that ALL squad members should be loyal before attempting the Suicide Mission. Loyalty, coupled with the right decision-making choices, affects who lives and dies during this mission. Having everybody live to fight another day is essential for a "perfect" playthrough.
Mass Effect 3
Cure 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. 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 score to persuade the quarians and geth to cease fighting immediately and work together. This compromise ensures both sides are treated fairly and lays the groundwork for reconciliation between the two longstanding enemies.
The Endgame
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 3, it really just depends on the individual player's idea of a perfect playthrough. The "Synthesis" option also isn't a bad idea, since it allows both organic and synthetic life to start working together toward a shared goal of peace.
Major Choice: Paragon Or Renegade
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." However, 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.