It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that Mass Effect Legendary Edition features some of the best storytelling in gaming. The main story is filled with tons of memorable moments, and although the ending was a bit of a letdown, the trilogy as a whole remains a masterpiece.
That said, the series has a lot more to offer than just the main plot. Indeed, some of the best missions in Mass Effect Legendary Edition are side quests that you can easily miss if you’re not a completionist. For reference, we’re counting as ‘side missions’ any sort of quest or assignment that’s not required for advancing the story or completing the game. Among other things, this includes DLC missions and loyalty missions.
10/10 Tuchanka: Turian Platoon (Mass Effect 3)
At first glance, this is a pretty unassuming mission that has Shepard and crew trying to help a Turian team defuse a massive bomb that’s about to wreak havoc on the Krogan homeworld. You can acquire Tuchanka: Turian Platton from Primarch Victus who emphasizes that the mission is of vital importance but declines to go into further detail. You later learn that one of the members of the platoon is the Primarch’s son, Tarquin Victus, who may or may not have been promoted without merit to the rank of Lieutenant by his father.
Upon meeting up with Tarquin, you’ll quickly realize that the Turian is feeling a tremendous amount of guilt over the fact that his platoon is getting decimated because of his poor leadership. In an attempt to redeem himself and avoid any further casualties, not to mention avoid a war between the Turians and the Krogan, the Lieutenant decides to deactivate the bomb himself and dies in the process. The entire scene is heart-wrenching, but things get even more emotional when Shepard returns to the Normandy and tells the Primarch what happened.
9/10 X57: Bring Down the Sky (Mass Effect 1)
In Bring Down the Sky, Shepard takes a break from saving the galaxy to save a human colony whose planet is about to get hit by an asteroid. This isn’t just any asteroid, though. Asteroid X57 is being purposely directed into the planet by a group of Batarian terrorists, and it’s up to Shepard to put a stop to them. The first portion of Bring Down the Sky takes place on the asteroid’s surface and is not very memorable, but things get very interesting upon meeting the Batarians.
Up to this point, the Batarians were generally portrayed as one-dimensional bad guys resembling Scooby-Doo villains more than actual characters. However, after talking with Balak, the Batarian leader, you learn more about the group’s motivations. He blames humanity and the Council for the fact that the Batarians went from a strong empire to one of the weakest races in the galaxy, and he makes some compelling arguments for why that’s sort of true. Just as you’re starting to empathize with their situation, Balak puts Shepard in the impossible situation of choosing between letting a terrorist go and sacrificing a group of hostages.
8/10 Despoina: Leviathan (Mass Effect 3)
Leviathan feels more like an X-Files episode than a Mass Effect DLC. This entire side story is filled to the brim with mystery and revelations that completely changed the way you look at the universe. Although the conclusion was somewhat predictable, learning the origins of the enigmatic Reapers allowed you to better understand their motivations for wanting to wipe out all life in the galaxy.
There are memorable moments scattered all throughout the DLC, but the best part comes near the end when you’re brought face-to-face with the Leviathans themselves. Laying eyes upon these humongous creatures is both fascinating and terrifying. The encounter marks one of the few instances when Shepard is made to look like a tiny ant staring helplessly at the sole of an unfathomably powerful cosmic boot that can crush them at any time. In the end, though, Shepard regains their composure and gets the Leviathans to help in the coming war against the Reapers.
7/10 Omega: Aria T’Loak (Mass Effect 3)
One of the most badass characters in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Aria T’Loak was finally given some much-deserved love with the release of the Omega DLC. After seeing how Aria ruled Omega pretty much unopposed in Mass Effect 2, it came as a shock to learn that she lost control of the station to Cerberus by the time Mass Effect 3 rolled around. While we don’t get a lot of information about what happened, the events are detailed in the Mass Effect: Invasion comics where it is revealed that Aria lost the station after she got tricked by General Petrovsky.
Throughout most of the DLC, Shepard is made to feel more like a side character than the protagonist, which is quite an interesting change of pace. As you’re fighting against Cerberus troops side-by-side with Aria through the streets of Omega, it’s hard not to stare in awe at Aria’s devastating Biotic powers and killing prowess. Convincing Aria to spare Petrovsky and denying her revenge at the end of the DLC is extremely difficult even if you’re playing as a Paragon; not because of some moral quandary but because it shouldn’t be your decision to make. Hence, why it’s even more satisfying than usual to take the Renegade route and let Aria have her way with the general.
6/10 Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery (Mass Effect 3)
The Asari are a fascinating species that’s viewed with respect and admiration by the rest of the galaxy. However, Asari society has a dark side that very few people know about, and it’s the stuff of nightmares. We’re talking, of course, about the Ardat-Yakshi. You first learn about this rare genetic condition that’s equal parts a gift and a curse from Samara during Mass Effect 2. Shepard can even choose to recruit an Ardat-Yakshi for their mission, a decision that can lead to the Commander’s untimely death.
But even though you learned what the Ardat-Yakshi were all about, nothing could have prepared you for what you’d encounter when stepping foot in their monastery during this side mission. If Leviathan makes Mass Effect 3 feel like a thriller, the Ardat-Yakshi monastery makes it feel like a horror game. Here is where you first encounter the dreaded Banshees and are introduced to their deafening screams and deadly grab attacks.
5/10 Kasumi: Stealing Memory (Mass Effect 2)
Kasumi isn’t exactly the most interesting squadmate in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, but she does have one of the best loyalty missions. Some of Mass Effect’s most memorable missions are those that feel completely different from the main plot, and this one certainly fits the bill. Dressing up and pretending to be Solomon/Alison Gunn in order to infiltrate a fancy party certainly beats running around the galaxy fighting Collectors and Husks. You also get to play detective for a bit, which is always fun.
The second half of this side mission is also pretty interesting as you get to explore a vault filled with wonderful treasures from all over the galaxy, including several easter eggs like the statute of an Ogre from Dragon Age. Easily the most impressive item in the vault is the head of the Statue of Liberty. How Hook managed to steal something like that, you’ll never know.
4/10 Tali: Treason (Mass Effect 2)
Tali is a fan-favorite character that receives a lot of love throughout Mass Effect Legendary Edition, and she has a fantastic loyalty mission in ME2. Turns out Tali has been accused of treason and working with the Geth, and as her current commanding officer, it’s up to Shepard to prove her innocence. There’s a ton of optional dialogue during this mission, and it’s all worth pursuing. It’s not every day that you get to visit the Migrant Fleet and chit-chat with a bunch of reclusive Quarians.
The fact that Tali didn’t betray her people was obvious even before starting the mission, but the revelation concerning her father’s experiments on the Geth came as a shock, to both Tali and Shepard. The evidence found on Admiral Rael’Zorah’s terminal can be used to either help or hinder Tali’s case during the trial. Or, even better, you can not bring up the evidence at all and resolve the entire thing by yelling at the admirals and calling the whole trial a sham. Better make sure you bring Legion along for some hilarious dialogue.
3/10 Citadel: The Fan (Mass Effect 1)
Some side missions are memorable because they deal with heavy topics and present you with difficult moral decisions. And then there are side missions like The Fan, which feel like you’ve suddenly stepped on the set of a sitcom. The Fan introduces us to the legendary Conrad Verner, a man so infatuated with Commander Shepard he makes Oblivion’s Adoring Fan seem more like a casual fan by comparison.
Conrad Verner seems harmless at first, but you come to realize with each subsequent interaction that he might be a little too obsessed with the Commander. There are multiple ways of dealing with Conrad, some of which will eventually get him killed. As tempting as that may be, being nice to him will allow him to return in Mass Effect 2, where he’s now pretending to be Shepard. If he lives through the second game, he’ll make another appearance in Mass Effect 3, where he takes a bullet for Shepard. Well, sort of. Oh, and apparently now he has a Ph.D and can help Shepard with the Crucible project. Guess he wasn’t that useless after all.
2/10 Lair of the Shadow Broker (Mass Effect 2)
The fact that Liara wasn’t available as a permanent squad mate in Mass Effect 2 felt very odd, but it turns out Bioware had big plans for the character and made an entire DLC revolving around her. It just so happens that Lair of the Shadow Broker is easily one of the best DLC in Mass Effect Legendary Edition. In it, Shepard gets to reunite with Liara and helps her uncover the identity of the enigmatic Shadow Broker. Along the way, you get to take part in a car chase, face off against a rogue Spectre, and eventually fight one of the most intimidating bosses in the series.
Lair of the Shadow Broker feels a lot like an action-packed movie with a healthy dose of drama and possibly some romance depending on whether you had a relationship with Liara in Mass Effect 1. Even if you didn’t, seeing Liara grow from a naive scientist into one of the most influential people in the galaxy is satisfying all the same. Besides, once Liara becomes the new Shadow Broker, you can rummage through the old owner’s base to find some pretty entertaining documents and videos that you’ll definitely want to check out.
1/10 Citadel: Party (Mass Effect 3)
The Citadel DLC is a love letter to fans of the series and is chock-full of memorable moments. From shooting a new Blasto movie with Javik and playing wingman for Garrus to fighting against your evil clone, it’s all heaps of fun. The highlight of Citadel is undoubtedly the party where Shepard and friends get the rare opportunity to take a break from the war and have some fun. The party feels bittersweet knowing that it might be the last time when you’ll see some of these beloved characters, but it also makes you cherish this unique moment when you get to see all of them gathered in the same place.
We have so many fond memories of the Party that it’s hard to list them all here. You’ve got the pizza delivery Volus, drunk Tali talking about her emergency induction port, Garrus and Zaeed coming up with ideas for making Shepard’s apartment more secure, Grunt turning away uninvited guests, waking up next to Javik, and the list goes on and on. Mass Effect 3 may have ended on a bit of a sour note, but the Party more than made up for that. In fact, let’s just all pretend that the Party was the trilogy’s real ending as we look forward to the next Mass Effect.
