The Mass Effect series is considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi franchises in the history of gaming, with the doomed release of Andromeda not taking away from a trilogy that is considered by most fans to be nothing short of an absolute masterpiece. The journey of Commander Shepard as he strives to save the universe time and time again is easily one of the most memorable sagas ever featured in a video game.
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Now, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, fans can finally witness the Mass Effect franchise at its very peak, with a whole host of upgrades and advancements across the entire experience — especially the first game — that will prove to be quite a joy to experience indeed.
10 Don't Try And Play Both Sides When It Comes To The Morality System
The idea of a morality system might seem rather outdated in video games, but one needs to understand that the Mass Effect trilogy is a product of its time — a time when having a system gauging the player's morale was commonplace in video games.
For what it's worth, the Paragon-Renegade duality is portrayed quite brilliantly in Mass Effect... although players should try not to enjoy the best of both worlds by trying to be a neutral person in the game — the games don't really account for this middling alignment, and some great content is hidden until the player increases their inclination towards being either a Paragon or Renegade in the games.
9 Avoid Using The Auto Level-Up System
The first Mass Effect title has an Auto Level-Up system that does pretty much what one would expect it to do — it distributes points into a squadmate's stats without consulting the player.
While this might seem like an easier course of action to take, the player is better off managing this part of a squadmate for themselves. After all, some abilities of Shepard's squad in the first Mass Effect are better than others, so players should ideally focus on these specific abilities and powers to improve the efficiency of their comrades in combat.
8 Be Mindful Of The Class You Choose
The class that players choose in the first Mass Effect is something that they'll be stuck with for the long haul, so it's highly recommended to pay close attention to these classes that choose the playstyle that the player would be most comfortable with.
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While going in guns blazing might sound rather intriguing, one can't deny that using Biotic and Tech powers in battle will also prove to be a blast. Players should do their research and select the class that would adhere to their style of playing games.
7 Make The Most Of The Mako's Weapons In The Legendary Edition
One thing that most players might not know about the Mako before starting Mass Effect is that killing enemies from this vehicle doesn't lead to an XP penalty anymore in the Legendary Edition, meaning that players can now go all out with the Mako's weapons without having to disembark in order to get the most XP from their kills.
It's one of the few minor yet appreciatable changes made to the much-reviled Mako vehicle, with other notable alterations being better handling and the removal of an instant game over the moment the Mako touches the smallest patch of lava.
6 Earn The Loyalty of Every Party Member In Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is easily one of the best games ever made, and players who experience the magic of this title in the Legendary Edition should make sure that each squadmate is loyal to Shepard by the end of the game.
Not only are the loyalty missions a blast to play through, but a loyal companion will be more effective during the last mission of this amazing game.
Speaking of which...
5 Take The Best Decisions Possible During The Suicide Mission
The Suicide Mission is easily one of the biggest highlights of Mass Effect 2, serving as a culmination of everything the player had achieved up to that point and the payoffs they received for being thorough with the game and its content.
However, the Suicide Mission itself features several key decisions, where choosing the wrong squadmate can have dire consequences — mainly, in the form of a comrade's untimely and unnecessary demise. Make sure to keep all these losses to a minimum in this mission by choosing the right options and squadmates when these decisions come up in battle.
4 Don't Board The Derelict Reaper Without Completing Almost All The Side Content
Another thing to keep in mind about Mass Effect 2 is that the player should board the Derelict Reaper only after they're complete with all the side content present in the game up to that point.
This is because the Normandy is assaulted by the Collectors after this mission and the entire crew is abducted, giving the player a very short span of time — which should be used to complete Legion's loyalty mission — before entering the Omega 4 Relay and initiating the concluding moments of the game.
3 Prioritize The Side Content In Mass Effect 3 As Well
Speaking of side content, one shouldn't fail to go through everything present in Mass Effect 3 as well — a game that pulls no punches when it comes to punishing players for neglecting its bonus content either.
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There's a point in the game after completing a number of Priority Missions where a ton of side content is locked out. Avoiding this is paramount to enjoy everything that Mass Effect 3 has to offer. Don't worry about delaying these Priority Missions — there are no penalties involved for keeping these missions on the backburner, regardless of what the game might state otherwise.
2 Keep Galactic Readiness In Mind
If players are jumping straight into Mass Effect 3 without finishing the first two games — a course of action that is absolutely not recommended for new players — then they'll find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to increasing Galactic Readiness in the game.
Given the fact that multiplayer is absent in the Legendary Edition's Mass Effect 3, the player's Galactic Readiness is now calculated by gauging all the decisions they've made across the first two games. Pragmatic decision-making will help increase the player's Galactic Readiness up to the level required to get the best ending in the game.
If players don't want to play through Mass Effect 1 and 2 even after knowing this fact, then they'll need to complete pretty much all the side content present in Mass Effect 3 in order to max out their Galactic Readiness.
1 Explore Areas And Talk To Characters As Much As Possible
The bread-and-butter of the Mass Effect series is going through all the areas present in the game, discovering as many things as possible, and forming bonds with notable characters on this epic journey.
Failing to do so will cause the player to miss out on a crucial part of what makes the trilogy special in the first place — the strong sense of character writing that is present throughout every facet of this amazing series.