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For a first playthrough, play Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, then Mass Effect 3. That is both the original release order and the order of Commander Shepard’s connected story. Afterward, play Mass Effect: Andromeda if you want another campaign; it follows a different protagonist in another galaxy rather than continuing Shepard’s playable storyline.
For the simplest modern starting point, choose Mass Effect Legendary Edition. It collects the three Shepard games and includes more than 40 DLC packs, according to Electronic Arts.
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What order should I play the Mass Effect games in?
Play the trilogy in this sequence: Mass Effect → Mass Effect 2 → Mass Effect 3. Then treat Mass Effect: Andromeda as an optional separate adventure, not as a required fourth chapter.
| Order | Game | Release year | Place in the story | What to do with your save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass Effect | 2007 | Begins Commander Shepard’s campaign and establishes the trilogy’s world. | Create the Shepard you want to carry forward and keep the completed save. |
| 2 | Mass Effect 2 | 2010 | Continues Shepard’s story and builds on the first game’s decisions. | Import your completed Mass Effect save when prompted. |
| 3 | Mass Effect 3 | 2012 | Concludes the original trilogy’s central Reaper-war story. | Import the completed Mass Effect 2 campaign when prompted. |
| 4 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | 2017 | Optional Pathfinder/Ryder campaign in the Andromeda galaxy. | It is a new campaign rather than the next Shepard save. |
The release years are listed by GameTimeline.org, accessed in 2026. The first three games form one continuous Shepard arc, so beginning with the first game gives the character relationships, setting, and decisions their intended context. The order also makes the choices in one game matter in the next instead of asking you to reconstruct a story already in progress.
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Why the release order is also the story order
Sometimes a series has a prequel, remake, or spin-off that makes a chronological play order different from its launch order. The original Mass Effect trilogy is simpler. The 2007 game introduces Shepard and the setting, the 2010 sequel continues that campaign, and the 2012 game brings the central trilogy conflict to its conclusion. For a new player, there is no advantage to rearranging those three entries.
Playing Mass Effect 2 first would remove the first game’s introductions and would leave you without the completed campaign save that the sequel is designed to use. Starting with Mass Effect 3 would place you at the end of the arc, where many relationships and decisions already have history. Release order preserves the escalation, reveals, and consequences as they were designed to unfold.
That recommendation applies whether you play the original releases individually or use the remastered collection. The packaging changes, but the practical order does not.
Should I start with Mass Effect Legendary Edition?
For most new players, yes: Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the most straightforward way to play Shepard’s trilogy. Electronic Arts describes it as a remastered collection of Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, with choices that travel from one game to the next.
EA lists the collection for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through the EA app or Steam. The collection includes more than 40 DLC packs from the trilogy, including story expansions, weapons, armor, and other content. EA’s description supports saying that it includes most of the trilogy’s DLC; it does not establish that every piece of content ever released is included.
Legendary Edition is a remastered collection, not a new chapter in the story. Its practical advantage is that you can get all three Shepard games and much of their additional content together rather than assembling the trilogy title by title. If you already own the games separately, the narrative order remains the same; the collection is a convenience, not a different route through the story.
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| Option | Narrative continuity | Content completeness | Platforms identified by EA | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass Effect Legendary Edition | All three Shepard games in the intended sequence | More than 40 trilogy DLC packs, including story, weapons, armor, and other content | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC via EA app or Steam | Most first-time players who want one straightforward purchase |
| Individual trilogy releases | The same order, but you manage each title separately | Depends on which editions and add-ons you own | Varies by the release and storefront | Players who already own the games or want to add them separately |
| Mass Effect: Andromeda | Separate Ryder/Pathfinder campaign | Not a replacement for the Shepard trilogy | Not the same collection as Legendary Edition | Players seeking another adventure after, or instead of, Shepard’s story |
There is no need to buy both Legendary Edition and separate copies of the same three games simply to obtain a different story order. Choose the version that matches what you already own and the platform you use, then follow the same trilogy sequence.
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How do choices and save imports work?
Choices are designed to carry forward across the trilogy, but save files remain separate for each game. When starting the next title, continue the same Shepard campaign and import the previous game’s save when the game offers that option.
- Finish Mass Effect. Keep the completed campaign save available on the system or in the supported save location you use for the next game. If you create several Shepards, note which completed file belongs to the campaign you intend to continue.
- Start Mass Effect 2. When prompted, choose the option to import a save from Mass Effect. The imported campaign lets the sequel reflect decisions made in the first game.
- Finish Mass Effect 2. Preserve the completed file you want to carry into the final game. Avoid deleting it simply because you have begun a new playthrough.
- Start Mass Effect 3. Import the completed Mass Effect 2 campaign when prompted so the trilogy’s continuity carries forward.
Do not assume that buying or installing all three games automatically merges their saves. EA’s gameplay notes explain that each title manages its own saves, so the import choice matters at the transition between games. Installation is a product decision; importing is a campaign decision.
Keep the same broad Shepard identity if continuity is your priority. You can make different role-playing choices in each game, but starting a sequel with a different character setup or a new campaign will not reproduce the same chain of consequences. If you want to experiment, finish and preserve the continuity playthrough first, then begin a separate run.
What if I do not have a previous save?
Legendary Edition also offers the Mass Effect: Genesis comics as an optional way to establish earlier decisions before Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 without an imported save. This is useful if you begin with a sequel, move to a different platform or system, or simply no longer have the earlier file.
Genesis is a convenience feature, not a reason to skip Mass Effect on a first run. It can set up selected earlier decisions, but it does not replace the experience of meeting the setting and characters in the original campaign. For a first playthrough, play the first game and import its completed save; use Genesis as a fallback when that is not possible.
Should I play Andromeda before or after Mass Effect 3?
For the main franchise story path, play Andromeda after Mass Effect 3. It has a different protagonist, the Pathfinder Ryder, and takes place in the Andromeda galaxy; it does not continue Shepard’s playable storyline.
You can start with Andromeda if you specifically want that campaign, but it is not the best first stop for someone asking how to follow the main Mass Effect narrative. Likewise, do not treat it as the next installment of Shepard’s arc simply because it is another Mass Effect game. The useful distinction is between the connected trilogy and a separate campaign in the same broader universe.
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Finishing Mass Effect 3 first also gives you a clean stopping point before changing protagonists, setting, and campaign structure. After that, you can approach Andromeda as an optional branch without wondering whether it is required to understand the trilogy’s conclusion.
Do I need to play DLC in a special order?
No mission-by-mission DLC schedule is necessary for a first playthrough. Play the main games in trilogy order and use the DLC available within each game; some expansions are better saved for late in their respective game.
There is no single definitive official chronological order established for every DLC story mission. That means detailed mission schedules should be understood as recommended routes rather than mandatory canon. For a first run, avoid letting a complicated DLC checklist interrupt the larger story: play each expansion as part of its game, and save any late-game expansion until you are near the end of that title.
Legendary Edition’s “more than 40 DLC packs” figure covers a broad mixture of story expansions, weapons, armor, and other content. You do not need to activate or schedule every item before beginning. Treat the story expansions as optional additions to the game you are currently playing, and treat equipment content as something that can supplement your campaign rather than dictate its order.
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How much time does the trilogy take?
Electronic Arts’ 2021 launch announcement cited more than 100 hours of gameplay, with the figure attributed to BioWare Project Director Mac Walters. Treat that as a broad scale indicator for the collection, not a promised completion time: individual playtime depends on how much optional content a player takes on.
A direct run through the main campaigns will not feel the same as a completionist run that explores optional missions, dialogue, equipment, and included expansions. The useful planning point is that Legendary Edition represents a substantial multi-game commitment. You can play one title at a time, finish its campaign, and continue later without changing the recommended order.
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Which route should I choose?
- First time with the series: Start with Mass Effect Legendary Edition, then play its three games in order. Keep your completed saves and import them at both transitions.
- Returning to Shepard’s story: Play the games in the same order, importing the prior campaign save at each sequel if available. Use Genesis only when the earlier save cannot be used.
- Interested only in a different campaign: Andromeda is a separate entry point, but it will not provide the Shepard trilogy’s story. Choose it knowingly as a Ryder/Pathfinder adventure.
- Want the simplest continuity: Use the same Shepard campaign through all three games and respond to each save-import prompt. Do not rely on installation alone to transfer decisions.
- Want every story detail without overplanning: Play the trilogy, use its available DLC, and do not mistake unofficial mission-by-mission routes for a required order.
- Already own one or more games: You do not need to restart the franchise because you lack the collection. Continue with the standard sequence, checking which completed save the next title can import.
Platform and purchase considerations
Electronic Arts identifies Legendary Edition on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through the EA app or Steam. Check the storefront and edition attached to your own platform before purchasing, especially if you already own individual releases. The important editorial comparison is not a different story route; it is whether one collection is more convenient than assembling separate titles and add-ons.
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The collection is also the clearest option for readers who want the trilogy’s included content in one package. Its “over 40 DLC packs” description covers the trilogy’s story additions and equipment content, while the three main games remain the required narrative path. Andromeda is not part of the three-game Shepard collection, so wanting both campaigns may mean treating it as a separate purchase or installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes to avoid
- Starting with Mass Effect 3 because it is the newest Shepard game. This skips two-thirds of the connected arc and removes the intended buildup.
- Playing Andromeda as though it were Shepard’s fourth chapter. It is a separate Ryder campaign in another galaxy.
- Deleting the completed save after finishing a game. The next title needs that file, and a later replay may need it again.
- Assuming all saves merge automatically. Each game manages its own saves; choose the import option when it appears.
- Treating Genesis as a full substitute for the first game. It establishes earlier decisions but is intended as a fallback or convenience.
- Letting a DLC checklist obscure the main route. Use expansions within their respective games and regard detailed schedules as optional guidance.
- Reading the 100-hour figure as a guarantee. It is an EA launch-announcement estimate for the collection’s scale, not a fixed completion time.
Do completionists need an official guide?
Most players can complete the trilogy without a guide. The basic order, save-import prompts, and in-game objectives are enough for a normal first run. A guide or official manual can be useful if you want to locate optional content, compare decisions, or plan a later completionist playthrough.
Do not present a guide as necessary for understanding the story. It is a reference product for readers who want exhaustive coverage, not a prerequisite for the Shepard arc. If you purchase a physical or digital guide, verify the edition and current availability because listings and formats can change.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mass Effect Legendary Edition a fourth game?
No. It is a remastered collection of Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, not a new installment or continuation. The separate campaign in the broader series is Mass Effect: Andromeda.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchDoes Legendary Edition include all three Mass Effect games?
Yes. Electronic Arts describes it as a collection containing the three Shepard games: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3.
Does Legendary Edition include all the DLC?
It includes more than 40 DLC packs, covering story expansions, weapons, armor, and other trilogy content. EA’s description supports calling that most of the trilogy’s DLC, not claiming that every piece of content ever released is included.
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Do my choices carry over from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2?
They are designed to carry forward when you import the completed Mass Effect save into Mass Effect 2. Each game still manages its own save files, so installing both games does not automatically merge campaigns.
What if I cannot import my old save?
Legendary Edition provides the optional Mass Effect: Genesis comics before Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. They let you establish earlier decisions without the original file, but they are a fallback rather than a replacement for playing the first game.
Do I play Mass Effect: Andromeda before or after Mass Effect 3?
For the main franchise path, play it after Mass Effect 3. Andromeda follows Pathfinder Ryder in the Andromeda galaxy and does not continue Shepard’s playable storyline. You can start there if you specifically want its separate campaign.
Do I need a precise DLC order?
No. Play each main game in trilogy order and use the DLC available within that game. Some expansions are best saved for late in their respective title, but no single definitive official mission-by-mission order covers every DLC story.
Is the 100-hour figure a guaranteed playtime?
No. EA’s 2021 launch announcement cited more than 100 hours as a collection-wide gameplay figure attributed to BioWare Project Director Mac Walters. It is a scale indicator, not a completion-time promise for every player.
Which platforms support Legendary Edition?
Electronic Arts lists PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through the EA app or Steam. Confirm the current storefront listing for your platform and edition when you buy.
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Can I play Andromeda without the trilogy?
Yes, if you specifically want its separate Ryder/Pathfinder campaign. However, it will not give you Shepard’s connected story, so the trilogy remains the better starting route for a reader asking for the main series order.
Is a guide required for a first playthrough?
No. Most players need no guide to follow the trilogy. An official manual or walkthrough can help completionists, but it is an optional reference rather than a requirement.
The Bottom Line
Play Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 in that order, importing each completed save. Start with Mass Effect Legendary Edition for the simplest package, and play Mass Effect: Andromeda afterward only if you want its separate Ryder campaign.
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