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Yes—your major story decisions can carry from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2 and then to Mass Effect 3 in Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Electronic Arts describes the feature as, “Your choices seamlessly travel from one game to the next.” That continuity is an in-game import system, not a single shared save file and not automatic cloud or cross-platform syncing. You normally finish one game, keep its completed save, and import it when starting the next. Moving the same playthrough between devices is a separate problem: PC saves are local by default, and historical EA staff guidance does not establish universal PC-to-console or console-to-console transfer.
What carries over between Mass Effect games?
Legendary Edition contains Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 as three separate games. When you import an earlier game’s completed save into the next one, the new game can use your established Shepard history. EA specifically identifies relationships, squad members and final-war preparation as areas affected by earlier decisions; that does not mean every conversation choice creates a separately visible scene later.
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Story continuity is not one shared save slot
EA says saves remain unique to each game. A completed Mass Effect save is still a Mass Effect save; importing it creates a starting state for Mass Effect 2 rather than converting both games into one file. Keep the finished save from each title until the next game has successfully recognized it, and do not delete an earlier game’s folder simply because the sequel has created a new save.
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What is the recommended order for a continuous Shepard story?
Play Mass Effect, then Mass Effect 2, then Mass Effect 3, importing the completed save at each transition. EA calls carrying progress from the first two games the most reliable preparation for the third game’s concluding war. This order also lets you see consequences while the relevant relationships and political conflicts are still familiar.
From Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2
Complete the first game and retain its end-of-game save. When beginning Mass Effect 2, use the game’s save-import option if it is offered on your installation. The imported state can provide the sequel with information about your original decisions and Shepard’s prior campaign. Because menu labels can vary by platform and update, use the option that explicitly refers to importing a previous Mass Effect save rather than assuming a newly created character is linked automatically.
From Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3
After finishing Mass Effect 2, preserve that completed save and choose the corresponding import option when setting up Mass Effect 3. This is the most consequential handoff: earlier relationships, the survival of squad members and other decisions can affect the circumstances in which the final war unfolds. Importing does not guarantee a particular ending; it supplies the history on which the game’s later state is based.
Can I start with Mass Effect 2 or Mass Effect 3?
Yes. EA includes optional Mass Effect: Genesis comics before the later games so a new player can make selected previous-game choices without completing every earlier campaign. Genesis is a shortcut for setting a starting history, not documented proof that it reconstructs every detail of a full imported playthrough.
| Approach | Best for | History depth | Time commitment | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete each game and import the save | Players who want the fullest supported continuity | Uses the completed earlier-game state | Requires playing the preceding campaign | Earlier saves remain separate files |
| Start with Mass Effect 2 and use Genesis | Players who want to skip the first game | Choice-setting available through the comic | Shorter entry point | EA does not document Genesis as an exhaustive recreation of every earlier event |
| Start with Mass Effect 3 and use its available setup choices | Players who need to begin at the finale | Uses the setup provided before the game | Fastest route to the final chapter | Less opportunity to build the trilogy’s relationships personally |
If you care about how your own decisions shape the finale, the full sequence is preferable. Genesis is useful when you cannot or do not want to play an earlier title, but treat its decisions as a curated starting setup rather than a guaranteed copy of a completed campaign.
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Does importing a save change every later scene?
No. Imported choices matter, but the games do not promise a separately rewritten version of every mission or line. Some decisions influence a later character’s presence, a relationship, a mission condition or the resources available for the war. Other choices may be acknowledged briefly or have no visible consequence in the next title.
Relationships and squad members
Romances, loyalties and the fate of companions are among the kinds of history that can matter in later games. A squad member who survived an earlier campaign may be available in a different role, while a character who did not survive cannot appear in the same way. These are categories of supported continuity, not a promise that every relationship produces a unique ending.
Preparation for the final war
Mass Effect 3 uses earlier progress as part of the context for its war effort. EA says the Legendary Edition no longer bases Galactic Readiness on outside multiplayer or the old companion app. Do not follow older guides that tell you those external features are required for Legendary Edition readiness; they refer to the original release environment.
How do I move a Mass Effect Legendary Edition save to another device?
Do not assume that a successful story import also provides cross-device saving. The import connects games within a playthrough; it does not transfer a save from one platform to another. An EA community manager historically advised continuing Legendary Edition on the same platform in response to a PC-to-Xbox question. That is useful guidance for the limitation, but it is not an independently verified current rule for every device combination.
Same-platform continuation
For the least uncertainty, continue on the same platform family and installation where the save was created. Sign-in services or platform cloud features may change over time, so check the current platform and publisher support information for your exact edition instead of treating a cloud icon as proof that a file is usable on another platform.
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PC to PC: manual file movement is possible
EA staff state that PC saves are stored locally and may be moved manually between PCs. The default folder they give is:
Documents > BioWare > Mass Effect Legendary Edition > SaveClose the game before copying anything. On the destination PC, make a backup of its existing Save folder, then copy the source files into the corresponding folder. Keep the original copy until the destination launches successfully and shows the expected career. A USB flash drive is optional for this backup or transfer; it does not make a PC save compatible with a console.
- Finish the game and exit completely. Do not copy files while the game is writing a save.
- Open the source folder. In Windows, browse to
Documents > BioWare > Mass Effect Legendary Edition > Save. - Back up both sides. Copy the entire source folder to a separate location, and rename or copy the destination PC’s existing folder before replacing files.
- Copy the save files. Place the source files in the matching
Savefolder on the destination PC. - Launch and verify. Check that the career or load screen shows the expected character and completion state before deleting any backup.
File paths can differ if Windows redirects Documents to another location or if an installation uses a different user profile. If the game does not see the save, restore the backup and verify that you copied the files into the active Documents location, not a similarly named folder.
PC to console or console to console
The documented PC method should not be generalized to PC-to-Xbox, PC-to-PlayStation or console-to-console transfers. The reviewed EA guidance does not establish a universal file format, cloud service or supported procedure for those pairs. A platform’s ability to download its own cloud saves is not evidence that it can read saves produced by another platform.
Can I transfer saves from the original Mass Effect releases into Legendary Edition?
The available official information does not establish compatibility between saves from the separately released original games and Legendary Edition. Do not copy an original-release save into the Legendary Edition folder expecting it to import. If you are moving from the original releases, plan on using the setup choices available in the new game unless an up-to-date support page for your exact platform explicitly confirms a supported migration path.
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Does Shepard’s appearance transfer with the story?
Story history and character appearance are separate systems. EA says a character-creator code can be used across the three games, and the appearance can be changed at the start of each one. Reusing a face code recreates visual settings only; it does not reconstruct romances, mission outcomes, deaths or other plot decisions.
For a consistent-looking Shepard, record the creator code and enter it in the next game’s character creator. Still import the completed save when you want narrative continuity. If you alter the appearance at the start of a sequel, that visual change does not erase the imported campaign state.
What should I preserve before starting the next game?
- Keep at least one completed save from the previous game, preferably more than one if you want to revisit a late decision.
- Do not overwrite the only copy while experimenting with a new career or a manual PC transfer.
- Record your Shepard’s creator code separately if appearance continuity matters.
- Confirm that the sequel recognizes the imported career before cleaning up old files.
- For PC moves, back up the full local
Savefolder before copying anything.
These precautions protect the information the import system can use. They cannot turn a local PC save into a cross-platform save or make an unsupported original-release migration work.
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Which option is right for my playthrough?
Choose the full trilogy order if you want the strongest continuity and are willing to spend the time. Choose Genesis when you want to begin with Mass Effect 2 or need a faster route into the series. Choose a same-platform continuation when moving hardware is not necessary; if you must move between PCs, use the local-folder backup method and keep the original files. Treat console transfers and original-release migrations as unconfirmed unless the publisher provides current, platform-specific instructions.
How reliable is the carryover promise?
EA’s product description supports the broad claim that choices travel between the three Legendary Edition games, while its gameplay guidance explains that saves remain unique to each title. Together, those statements support importing campaign history—not the idea of one continuously opened file or a guarantee that every minor choice will reappear. The practical rule is simple: finish, preserve, import, and verify at each handoff.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to finish every side mission before importing a Mass Effect save?
No source establishes an all-side-missions requirement for the import feature. Keep a completed save that reflects the campaign state you want, then use the sequel’s import option; optional content may affect the resulting history, but the game does not promise that every activity becomes a later scene.
Can I replay Mass Effect 2 with a different imported Mass Effect save?
Yes, as long as you preserve separate completed saves and select the intended career when the sequel offers its import setup. Naming or backing up folders clearly helps prevent loading the wrong Shepard, especially after multiple playthroughs.
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Will changing Shepard’s class break the imported story?
Appearance and story continuity are distinct from class selection. The available guidance says you can change appearance at the start of each game; it does not state that importing requires the same class, so treat class choice as a new-game setup decision rather than a save-transfer setting.
Does Legendary Edition require the old Mass Effect 3 companion app for readiness?
No. EA says Legendary Edition’s Galactic Readiness is no longer determined by the former external companion app or outside multiplayer. Earlier-game campaign progress still matters to the final-war context, but those legacy services are not a stated requirement.
What if my imported career is missing on PC?
Restore your backup, confirm that the game is using the active Windows Documents location, and check that the files are inside BioWare/Mass Effect Legendary Edition/Save. If the career still does not appear, avoid deleting the source copy; the available guidance does not provide a universal fix for every installation or profile configuration.
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