The Galaxy is a massive place in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, but if players stay on the path of the main campaign throughout the trilogy, they will miss exploring most of it. Many of the best missions in Mass Effect Legendary Edition are optional, like the squadmate Loyalty missions, or hidden until players travel to new systems and scan new planets. Often the rewards for completing these missions include more credits, morality points, and XP, but they can also eventually translate to War Assets in Mass Effect 3. They also often serve as an opportunity for players to receive more lore or context for events later in the story.
Some of the best side missions in Mass Effect Legendary Edition are exceptionally unique, with nothing else like them in the rest of the trilogy. Some even unlock special mechanics, like Shepard's class specialization or most loyal fan and adversary. Players should be sure to check out these great Mass Effect Legendary Edition side missions on their next playthrough.
Best Side Missions in the Mass Effect Trilogy
The best side Missions in Mass Effect Legendary Edition are often ones players stumble upon without meaning to. These missions add humor, lore, or even new mechanics to the trilogy and tend to be fun or challenging to play. This guide will focus on hidden assignments and quests players could easily miss or skip. Squadmate Loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2 do not count, as these are technically part of the main story.
Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery - Mass Effect 3
Shepard spends a lot of time in Mass Effect 2 learning about the Ardat-Yakshi and eventually dealing with Morinth, Samara's wayward daughter. In Mass Effect 3, Shepard has the chance to meet Samara's two other Ardat-Yakshi children, Falere and Rila, and learn what daily life is like for Ardat-Yakshi at the monastery in Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery. Shepard will also have a chance to meet up with Samara again and learn about the nature of Banshees, one of the more difficult enemies the squad faces throughout Mass Effect 3. The mission culminates in a difficult boss fight against two powerful Banshees that can provide a unique challenge to players.
Squadmate Personal Assignments - Mass Effect 1
After Shepard spends some time talking with them aboard the Normandy between missions in Mass Effect 1, Garrus, Wrex, and Tali all share personal assignments with the Commander. Though these are optional, short missions, they are somewhat similar to the Loyalty Missions in Mass Effect 2. Completing Garrus' mission affects his morality for the rest of the trilogy. Completing Wrex's mission can make it easier for Shepard to keep him alive on Virmire. And completing Tali's mission gives Shepard more negotiating power with Tali in Mass Effect 2. Each of these missions is worth doing.
The Fan - Mass Effect 1
Conrad Verner is a fan-favorite NPC Shepard first meets on the Citadel in Mass Effect 1. If Shepard continues to find him and respond to his requests, either positively or negatively, he will eventually appear in both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. Players who want to experience this legendary character should make sure to find Conrad at least three times on the Citadel before the mission to Ilos.
N7: Imminent Ship Crash - Mass Effect 2
There are several timed missions in Mass Effect 2, but N7: Imminent Ship Crash is one of the most fun. Shepard and their squad will have six minutes to evade Geth, as they did in Mass Effect 1, and reactivate a ship's engines. To access this mission, Shepard must purchase the Pylos Nebula Star Chart from Baria Frontiers on Illium. This side mission is a change of pace from the more combat-heavy side missions and enforces a challenging time limit for added depth.
N7: MSV Estevanico - Mass Effect 2
One of the non-combat side missions in Mass Effect 2, N7: MSV Estevanico has Shepard explore the crash site of a ship that disappeared a year previously. The MSV Estevanico is set up like a maze, forcing players to strategically think, shoot at various steel beams, and make their way across a chasm to access the ship's data and learn why it crashed. Unlike anything else in Mass Effect 2, this mission is memorable and encourages strategic thinking and puzzle-solving rather than force.
UNC: Rogue VI - Mass Effect 1
Once Shepard gains control of the Normandy in Mass Effect 1, they will receive a mission on Earth's moon, Luna, from Admiral Hackett to eliminate a Rogue VI from the station there. Not only does Shepard unlock their class specialization for completing this mission, but it is also later revealed that the Rogue VI Shepard defeats is the original design Cerberus used to program EDI.
Illium: Liara: Systems Hacking - Mass Effect 2
Ahead of the events of Lair of the Shadow Broker, Shepard can earn a few Renegade points by helping an old friend on Illium. Shepard can hack a few terminals for Liara in exchange for some credits. This mission leads directly into a second mission to hack more terminals, read information, and complete a logic puzzle to figure out who The Observer is. These puzzles are quick and easy, allowing Shepard a chance to rekindle a friendship with Liara before completing the DLC and learning what she has been up to.
UNC: Cerberus - Mass Effect 1
The Cerberus questline in Mass Effect 1 is somewhat brief but offers much-needed context for the sequel. In it, Shepard and their squad travel to the Attican Traverse following the completion of UNC: Missing Marines and invade several Cerberus facilities, eventually learning of the horrible alien experiments taking place there. This mission serves as an excellent precursor to Shepard's tenuous alliance with Cerberus in Mass Effect 2 and increases the tensions between the Commander and The Illusive Man. Tali and Garrus will even comment on this side mission when Shepard finds them in Mass Effect 2.
Tuchanka: Bomb - Mass Effect 3
One of the more easily missed, time-sensitive missions in Mass Effect 3 is Tuchanka: Bomb. Shepard and their squad will need to help the turians defuse a massive bomb planted on Tuchanka during the Krogan War. As soon as this quest unlocks, Shepard must complete it right away. If they complete three other missions before this one, the bomb will go off and the mission will fail, costing many War Assets. A major part of this mission is protecting Lieutenant Victus, son of the turian Primarch. Players will have to watch his vital sign bar and keep Cerberus off him until he can defuse the bomb. This side mission is tense and challenging and provides more history about and insight into turian-krogan relations.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.