Mass Effect: Legendary Edition gives new and old gamers the opportunity to play as Shepard over the course of the entire franchise. The sum of choices made leading up to the final act of Mass Effect 3 is especially important this time around, as they directly contribute to the number of endings players have access to at the end of the game.
Notably, the availability of endings is directly tied to Shepard's Effective Military Strength (EMS), which is based on a combination of War Assets - that is, Shepard's crew members, weapons, technology, ships, items, and armies gathered throughout the campaign, in addition to specific choices made. Some of these come from missions completed as well as surviving members from the previous titles.
This post contains story spoilers regarding the ending of Mass Effect 3.
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Before getting the best ending, it's good to make sure all of them are accessible. For example, skipping Mass Effect 1 and 2 puts players at a major disadvantage, as it becomes significantly harder to build up the necessary EMS. At the absolute least, players will want to have 1750 EMS to have some options available with mostly devastating results, and in excess of 4000 EMS to have all options with some being far less destructive. It all gets a little complicated but no worries - here are the details on each.
In this scenario, Shepard sends a massive beam into the mass relay network, wiping out the Reapers and all synthetic life at once. The good thing about this ending is it's the only one where Shepard actually survives. Although this option only needs 1750 EMS to be made available, if players can manage to accumulate more than 3100 EMS, they can not only save Shepard but save Earth and the squad, as well.
That said, this option is only available depending on if the Collector Base was destroyed or preserved in Mass Effect 2. As evidenced by the ending title, if the base is no more, only the Destroy option can be chosen.
In contrast to the previous ending, this one is only available if the Collector Base was preserved. Here, Shepard sacrifices themself and merges with the Reapers, taking control of their forces and leading them away. Shepard is entirely a goner in this case, although the squad survives, and having an EMS of 2350 leaves the Earth intact, as well.
Here is where EMS starts to kick in heavily, as this option is only available above 2800. In this scenario, Shepard adds their own energy to the Crucible's, sacrificing themselves once more by merging all organic and synthetic life in the galaxy. According to the Catalyst, this is the best option, as synthesis is considered the pinnacle of evolution, rendering the Reapers obsolete.
This ending was included with the extended cut that comes with the Legendary Edition. Rather than making any choice, Shepard refuses to activate the Crucible altogether, stating that such a decision has a massive impact on the galaxy and its people, and therefore can't be decided on. Therefore, either the war ends on Shepard's terms; or alternatively, Shepard can initially accept the Catalyst's actions, then attempt to shoot the Catalyst instead.
In either case, the Reapers take home a definitive victory and the cycle of destruction only continues. In the future, one of Liara's time capsules is shown on a different planet, with one of her recordings explaining that other civilizations, unlike hers, still have the chance to succeed.
The finale to Mass Effect 3 is far more weighted and, given that many players have grown close to Shepard, the Destroy option seems like the obvious best choice here. All of the other options end with Shepard dying in some way, and the final option of the four does the last thing anyone would want to happen. Still, some may find the Control and Synthesis options are more appealing, and as expected of Mass Effect, the choice lies in the hands of the player.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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