

Mass Effect 2 Wiki Guide
Walkthrough.
This page of IGN's Mass Effect 2 wiki guide is the main walkthrough of the game's core storyline Missions. It will help assist you in getting through all combat encounters, where to find every collectible, and how to pick the right dialogue choices for your playthrough. This walkthrough is available in both a text-and-pictures format as well as video demonstration .
The listings below focus on efficiency. For example, Illium can have up to three Missions available for it at the same time, so they are all grouped together. DLC is not listed here as it is all ultimately optional. Any Side Quests are handled in the Side Quests section.
Assemble a Team: Part 1
Assemble a team: part 2, loyalty missions.
- The Suicide Mission

A month after the defeat of Sovereign in Mass Effect 1, Shepard and the crew of the Normandy scour the galaxy for the last remaining Geth holdouts. But life is about to take a sharp turn for Shepard, as they meet Cerburus and learn of agents of the Reapers who are terrorizing humanity before they even arrive...
- Prologue - Save Joker
- Prologue - Awakening
- Freedoms Progress
- Exploring the Normandy

In order to take down The Collectors, Shepard must go through the Omega-4 Relay to strike the Collectors at their base, effectively a suicide mission. In order to have a chance at being successful, the Illusive Man instructs Shepard to travel the galaxy and assemble an elite team to get the job done.
- The Citadel - The Council
- Dossier - The Professor
- Dossier - Archangel
- Dossier - The Convict
- Dossier - The Warlord

After a reunion in the colony of Horizon , the Illusive Man forwards Shepard three more dossiers to complete Shepard's team of ever-talented specialists to prepare for taking on the Collectors.
- Dossier - Tali
- Dossier - The Justicar
- Dossier - The Assassin
- Collector Ship

In addition to assembling their team, Shepard must also tend to the personal and mental needs of the crew; old ghosts emerge from their past, and Shepard needs their team at their best to have a chance at defeating the Collectors.
- Kasumi - Stolen Memory
- Zaeed - The Price of Revenge
- Miranda - The Prodigal
- Jacob - The Gift of Greatness
- Grunt - Rite of Passage
- Mordin - Old Blood
- Samara - The Ardat-Yakshi
- Jack - Subject Zero
- Garrus - Eye for an Eye
- Thane - Sins of the Father
- Tali - Treason

With the team assembled, Shepard boards an incredibly dangerous craft to recover a device that could help them pass through the Omega-4 Relay. But a tragic turn of events causes the situation to become even more dire, and Shepard must finally make the jump to the Collector's base of operations...
- The Reaper IFF
- Legion - A House Divided
- Jokers Jump
Up Next: Full Walkthrough Roadmap
Top guide sections.
- Legendary Edition Changes
- Tips and Tricks
- How-To Guides
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Mass Effect 2: All Main Missions List

Home » Guides » Mass Effect 2: All Main Missions List
Mass Effect 2 contains many side missions that you wouldn’t want to skip, but what if you wanted the quickest route to the end of the game? We’ve got you covered, whether you’re a newcomer or a returning longtime fan. Here’s a list of all of the main missions in Mass Effect 2 .
Spoiler Warning : Please keep in mind that the names of some of the main missions can hint at some of the story beats in Mass Effect 2
All Main Missions in Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 allows players to complete many of its missions in whatever order they see fit, much like in Mass Effect 1. The following list of missions takes this into account by listing them in the general order that they appear in the story. The game is split up into three acts and several sections. Each section contains a number of individual missions to complete. That includes the highly recommended loyalty missions, even though they’re technically optional.
- Freedom’s Progress
- Dossier: Archangel
- Dossier: The Professor
- Omega: Aria T’Loak
- Dossier: The Convict
- Dossier: The Warlord
- Dossier: The Veteran
- Dossier: The Master Thief
- Dossier: Tali
- Dossier: The Assassin
- Dossier: The Justicar
- Collector Ship
- Miranda: The Prodigal
- Jack: Subject Zero
- Garrus: Eye for an Eye
- Mordin: Old Blood
- Jacob: The Gift of Greatness
- Tali: Treason
- Grunt: Rite of Passage
- Thane: Sins of the Father
- Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi
- Legion: A House Divided
- Use Omega-4 Relay
- Collector Base: Infiltration
- Collector Base: The Long Walk
And that’s the list of every single main mission in Mass Effect 2 . If you’re looking for more tips, tricks, or other general info, check out our guide wiki for Mass Effect Legendary Edition . You can also have a look at our other Mass Effect coverage in the related articles below.
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- Mass Effect LE, Spelunk 2, & Outer Wilds Coming to Game Pass in January
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- Mass Effect Legendary Edition’s Latest Patch Improves PC Performance, Adds Subtitle Options & More
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Mass Effect 2 Guide
- Edit source
This page contains a walkthrough for the main missions of Mass Effect 2 . Major changes in the gameplay from Mass Effect are listed in the main Mass Effect 2 page , while the effects of importing a saved game from Mass Effect are listed in the Save File Transfer page. For a comprehensive introduction to the mechanics of the actual fighting the player must engage in on most missions, see the combat page .
Legendary Edition: If you are playing Mass Effect Legendary Edition , all content that was previously available only from Downloadable Content (DLC) is now included by default, but overall requirements and prerequisites for the missions and characters only available from DLC in the original game remain largely the same. Legendary Edition does feature many changes to the original Mass Effect 2, including changes to how certain equipment is obtained.
- 2.1 Act 1 Dossiers
- 2.2 Act 1 DLC
- 2.3 Act 1 Progression
- 3.1 Act 2 Dossiers
- 3.2 Act 2 Loyalty Missions
- 3.3 Act 2 DLC
- 3.4 Act 2 Progression Missions
- 4.1 Act 3 Progression
Prologue [ ]
Prologue missions take place at the beginning of the game, in mandatory progression. At the end of the prologue Shepard receives command of the Normandy SR-2 and is free to explore both the ship and the galaxy.
Prologue: Save Joker - Story and setting
Prologue: Awakening - Create your Shepard, Tutorial
Freedom's Progress - First mission with Miranda and Jacob
Stop the Collectors - Master mission for the rest of the game
Act 1 begins when Shepard receives the Stop the Collectors master mission along with command of the Normandy SR-2 and continues until the mission to Horizon , which is activated as soon as Shepard has recruited all four of Mordin , Garrus , Jack , and Grunt . Any other missions and assignments not completed during Act 1 can still be completed during Act 2. Note that the order in which squadmates are recruited during Act 1 is entirely up to Shepard and will not affect how events play out in any way.
You will also have the opportunity to perform various assignments —some are available on Omega , some on the Citadel , and others you can discover during the process of Planet Scanning . Assignments described as N7 Assignments usually involve squad deployments and combat—effectively small missions—and provide experience, credits, and other rewards. All assignments are optional, but they help advance the story and provide the opportunity for additional rewards and items.
Act 1 Dossiers [ ]
Perform dossier missions to recruit new squad members for your team. It is recommended that you recruit Mordin first so that you will be able to take advantage of upgrades in the Research Lab on the Normandy. When these four missions have all been completed, the Horizon mission will trigger and Act 2 will begin.
Dossier: The Professor - Mordin
Dossier: Archangel - Garrus
Dossier: The Convict - Jack
Dossier: The Warlord - Grunt
Act 1 DLC [ ]
The following DLC missions and assignments can be performed during Act 1, or saved until Act 2 if desired.
Dossier: The Veteran - Zaeed
Dossier: The Master Thief - Kasumi
Zaeed: The Price of Revenge - Loyalty
Kasumi: Stealing Memory - Loyalty
Firewalker Pack
Normandy Crash Site
Act 1 Progression [ ]
When all four of the original (non-DLC) dossier missions are complete, the Horizon mission will be activated and Act 2 will begin.
Act 2 begins upon successful completion of the Horizon mission. At this point the Normandy is able to travel to Illium and new dossiers and missions become available. New assignments also become available during the course of Act 2: some at Illium, some on Tuchanka , and many new N7 Assignments open up through Planet Scanning in new systems which open up for exploration. New merchants also become available, along with new items at some of the Act 1 merchants; see the Merchants Guide for a complete list of locations and wares.
Act 2 Dossiers [ ]
Four more squadmates can now be recruited, though Legion 's mission works differently in that it does not become available until after the Collector Ship mission, and triggers additional act progression. You will need at least eight total crew members, not counting Legion, to advance the plot.
Dossier: The Assassin - Thane
Dossier: The Justicar - Samara
Dossier: Tali - Tali
Reaper IFF - Legion
Act 2 Loyalty Missions [ ]
Starting in Act 2, speaking with squad members on the Normandy will elicit requests for you to perform Loyalty missions. Securing the loyalty of your squad will both unlock new powers for them and increase the likelihood that they, and indeed Shepard, will survive Act 3. All loyalty missions are optional—they increase the power of your team but are not required to be completed for the game to progress.
Miranda's and Jacob's missions can be obtained immediately when Act 2 begins. Additional missions become available one at a time in the order listed; if the character whose loyalty mission would normally unlock is not yet present (e.g. Grunt is still in his tank, or Thane has not been recruited) then the mission of the next character present will unlock instead. Speaking with Kelly Chambers between missions will let you know which squad members you can talk to for new loyalty missions.
Gaining the loyalty of a squad member unlocks their "Bonus Power" for them to use. The first time a Bonus Power is ever unlocked, it is also added to the Advanced Training list for Shepard.
Each squad mate also has one Normandy Upgrade or research project to unlock in the research lab. Once Shepard has access to the research lab, these can be unlocked, even during Act 1, by talking to the squad members before they offer their loyalty missions and selecting the "[NORMANDY UPGRADES]" option under the Investigate heading; otherwise it unlocks automatically as each loyalty mission is complete.
Miranda: The Prodigal
Jacob: The Gift of Greatness
Jack: Subject Zero
Mordin: Old Blood
Grunt: Rite of Passage
Garrus: Eye for an Eye
Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi
Tali: Treason
Thane: Sins of the Father
Legion: A House Divided
Act 2 DLC [ ]
The following DLC becomes available for the first time when Act 2 begins. These are both large, substantial, and challenging undertakings, and offer significant rewards.
Lair of the Shadow Broker
Act 2 Progression Missions [ ]
Several key progression missions take place during the course of Act 2. Only the Reaper IFF mission may be done whenever you're ready; the other two trigger automatically.
Collector Ship - triggered a few missions after the events on Horizon. See the acquisition section on the mission page for specifics.
Reaper IFF - choose anytime after the Collector Ship mission. However , once completed, a mission countdown activates, with the possibility of significant plot consequences if the player delays much before proceeding through the Omega 4 Relay and beginning Act 3.
Await IFF Installation - triggers aboard the Normandy immediately after obtaining the IFF from the Derelict Reaper .
Act 3, also known as the Suicide Mission , begins when the Normandy enters the Omega 4 Relay , which can be done freely any time after Await IFF Installation is complete. At this point the mission sequence is locked, and the game proceeds through to the Epilogue without any intervening break for Shepard to use the Galaxy Map , complete assignments, research upgrades, etc. If Shepard survives the Suicide Mission, however, additional missions and assignments (DLC or left over from Acts 1 and 2) can then be completed.
Before entering the Omega 4 Relay and thus launching Act 3, you will want to upgrade your ship. The important upgrades are the shields, the armor, and the cannon. Tali, Jacob, and Garrus, respectively, provide these upgrades. For each of these you do not upgrade, you will later lose one team member. Upgrades will also increase the Normandy's value as a War Asset in Mass Effect 3 .
The following list shows, in order of preference, which crew member will die if you haven't upgraded a particular part:
- Heavy Ship Armor : Jack
- Multicore Shielding : Kasumi, Legion, Tali, Thane, Garrus, Zaeed, Grunt
- Thanix Cannon : Thane, Garrus, Zaeed, Grunt, Jack, Samara/Morinth
Note: This tier is sorted by the characters' order of dying in descending order. Squad members on the "Multicore Shielding" list will not die if they are in your party when you fight the Oculus . Bringing Jack to fight the Oculus will not protect her if you do not have Heavy Ship Armor, nor will bringing anyone on the "Thanix Cannon" list save them from their fate.
Act 3 Progression [ ]
The Normandy Attacked - Defend the Normandy from the Oculus.
Collector Base: Infiltration - Help your tech specialist through the ventilation shaft.
Collector Base: The Long Walk - Your biotic specialist escorts you through the Seeker Swarms.
Collector Base: Final Battle - Face the truth behind the abductions and make your decisions.
- 2 Romance (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

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Mass Effect 2
Game plot - mass effect 2.
Are you prepared to lose everything to save the galaxy? You’ll need to be, Commander Shephard. It’s time to bring together your greatest allies and recruit the galaxy’s fighting elite to continue the resistance against the invading Reapers. So steel yourself, because this is an astronomical mission where sacrifices must be made. You’ll face tougher choices and new, deadlier enemies. Arm yourself and prepare for an unforgettable intergalactic adventure.
Game Features:
Shift the fight in your favour. Equip yourself with powerful new weapons almost instantly thanks to a new inventory system. Plus, an improved health regeneration system means you’ll spend less time hunting for restorative items.
Make every decision matter. Divisive crew members are just the tip of the iceberg, Commander, because you’ll also be tasked with issues of intergalactic diplomacy. And time’s a wastin’ so don’t be afraid to use new prompt-based actions that let you interrupt conversations, even if they could alter the fate of your crew…and the galaxy.
Forge new alliances, carefully. You’ll fight alongside some of your most trustworthy crew members, but you’ll also get the opportunity to recruit new talent. Just choose your new partners with care because the fate of the galaxy rests on your shoulders, Commander.

How many chapters in Mass Effect 2?
List of chapters in mass effect 2.
- Prologue – Save Joker
- Prologue – Awakening
- Freedoms Progress
- Exploring the Normandy SR2
- The Citadel – The Council
- Dossier – The Professor
- Dossier – Archangel
- Dossier – The Convict
- Dossier – The Warlord
- Miranda – The Prodigal
- Jacob – The Gift of Greatness
- Jack – Subject Zero
- Mordin – Old Blood
- Grunt – Rite of Passage
- Garrus – Eye for an Eye
- Dossier – Tali
- Dossier – The Justicar
- Collector Ship
- Dossier – The Assassin
- Samara – The Ardat-Yakshi
- Tali – Treason
- Thane – Sins of the Father
- The Reaper IFF
- Jokers Jump
- Legion – A House Divided
- The Center of the Galaxy
- The Collector Base
(Main missions only.)
How many side missions in mass effect 2, list of side missions in mass effect 2.
Crime in Progress Found Forged ID Krogan Sushi The Assassin: Salarian Family Data Blue Rose of Illium Indentured Service The Justicar: Smuggling Evidence The Justicar: Stolen Goods Found Liara: System Hacking Medical Scans The Prodigal: Lost Locket Found Abandoned Mine Abandoned Research Station Anomalous Weather Detected Archaeological Dig Site Blood Pack Base Blood Pack Communications Relay Blue Suns Base Captured Mining Facility Eclipse Smuggling Depot Endangered Research Station Hahne-Kedar Facility Imminent Ship Crash Javelin Missiles Launched Lost Operative Mining the Canyone MSV Estevanico MSV Strontium Mule Quarian Crash Site Wrecked Merchant Freighter FBA Couplings Serrice Ice Brandy Special Ingredients Archangel: Datapad Recovered Batarian Bartender Packages for Ish Struggling Quarian Patriarch The Professor: Missing Assistant Combustion Manifold Killing Pyjaks Old Blood: Missing Scout
How long to beat Mass Effect 2?
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Mass Effect 2 Mission Order: optimal DLC, dossier, loyalty quest sequence
Just like its predecessor, Mass Effect 2 has an open-ended story that lets you tackle its various objectives in a relatively open-ended manner - and that means some people are inevitably going to be struck wondering what the best mission order for ME2 might look like.
Just like our suggestions on the ME1 mission order , any list you’ll find from us or anyone else online is merely a suggestion - but there are definitely certain missions that work better than others in certain places within ME2’s story. On top of that, there’s also more DLC missions in this game than its predecessor, and slotting those into the story is… quite difficult, honestly.
On this page, we proffer our suggestion for the optimum sequence of story missions and events in Mass Effect 2. Simple!

Mass Effect 2 Mission Order: optimal order for recruitment, loyalty & DLC missions
The basic structure of Mass Effect 2 is pretty simple. It starts you off with a string of prologue missions where it’ll ferry you from event to event, including two story mission planets that have combat encounters and even an early mini boss battle of sorts. After that, you’ll get your ship - and this is where the game opens up.
From here on out, ME2 is broken into segments. You get your ship and a smattering of story ‘recruitment’ missions to build your team. After recruiting all the available team members, you will automatically go to the story planet of Horizon for a mandatory story interlude. After that, you’ll get more missions. After finishing five of those, you’ll have another mandatory story mission. From there, you can complete whatever you like to the end.
No missions are mandatory, but towards the end of the game taking on too many side missions & optional assignments after a time-sensitive story event can have a negative impact on the end of the game. This guide avoids that, but check out our Mass Effect 2 Suicide Mission & endings guide for more detailed information on how to avoid that.
Below is our suggested mission order. While we've built in a few breaks where we suggest you tackle side missions and scan planets for resources, we also recommend you do this as often as you like throughout the game to break things up. The only exception is once you get the Reaper IFF - before doing that, you should complete absolutely everything you need to.
Remember that the mission order presented on this page is just a suggestion; deviate from it as much as you like.
Act 1 Mission Order: Cerberus and Building a Team
- Prologue: Awakening & Freedom’s Progress: as mentioned above, for the first few hours of the game, things will play out in a linear fashion. Just complete all the missions until you get your ship.
- Return to the Citadel: while you have pressing matters to deal with on Omega, first direct the Normandy back to the Citadel. Here you can meet with Anderson, announce your return, potentially get your Spectre status back, shop at stores including for some Normandy side quest items, complete a few other side quests.
- Dossier: The Master Thief: while on the Citadel, you should also immediately recruit Kasumi, if you've got access to her DLC.
- Omega intro & side activities: once you've visited the Citadel, head to your originally suggested destination, Omega. Here you'll need to speak to Aria to learn more about the next few story missions, shop at stores, and generally get to know the area.
- Dossier: The Veteran: as soon as you land on Omega, you can and should also immediately recruit Zaeed,
- Dossier: The Professor: after speaking to Aria, you'll have all the info you need to undertake two different recruitment missions on Omega. Recruit the Professor first.
- Early DLC Adventures Firewalker & Crash Site: leave Omega and head out into space. There’s a few things you should do out here:
- Normandy Crash Site: this is a short and simple DLC quest that was originally a pre-order bonus. It’s got decent rewards, and some nice ME1 fanservice.
- Project Firewalker: this DLC will take you to several places and give you access to a vehicle that otherwise isn't used in the core ME2 story. It's worth getting this quest out of the way here, and early, as it has good rewards.
- Kasumi's Loyalty Mission - Stealing Memory: this is Kasumi's loyalty mission, and we're making it the first of these missions we do primarily because it has some great rewards and resources, including the best SMG Mass Effect 2 has to offer. If your choice of character class relies on the SMG, do this mission now. Otherwise, you can bump it back to after recruiting Archangel.
- Dossier: Archangel: also on Omega, you can complete a mission to recruit the mysterious crusading mercenary Archangel. You can actually do this before or after the next step, but since you're already at Omega, it's easy to do it right after the previous recruitment mission.
- Planet Scanning & Material Gathering break: a big part of ME2 is scanning planets and gathering materials. The amount of materials you have can impact ME3, as can the upgrades you've purchased for your ship. With Mordin in the science bay, you'll have your first unlocks available - so take some time to scan some planets and gather some resources. You're free to tackle any side missions you discover if you want, or you can save them for later.
- Dossier: The Convict: your team currently lacks a dedicated Biotic - so to fill that mage-shaped hole in your ME2 squad, go recruit Jack next.
- Dossier: The Warlord: next, go and grab Grunt, Mass Effect 2's Krogan squad member. After completing the mission, he doesn't automatically join your party - go and get him on the lower floors of the Normandy if you want to have him join the crew properly.
- Horizon [automatic]: after all of the current batch of recruitment missions is complete, you'll be forced to tackle a mission on Horizon.
Act 2 Mission Order: Old Friends & Loyalties
- Dossier: Tali: she's been off your team for too long - is it really the Normandy without her aboard? Go get Tali. If Kal’Reegar survives, it’ll make Tali’s later loyalty mission easier.
- Visiting Illium: for a nice change of scenery, head to Illium, the next hub planet and home to another recruit. Catch up with Liara, but do not take her up on the offer to help her with the Shadow Broker after completing her short side quest. We'll save that for later. There's other side quests you can do on Illium also, plus new shops and so on.
- OPTIONAL // Lair of the Shadow Broker (Give Liara Intel): we don't really like this mission in this position, but you've got two choices - do it here to get significant rewards for the rest of the game, or save it for the post-game where it fits best for story. The choice is yours. If you do it here, Liara becomes an easy source of free upgrades and resources, with new ones added every time you complete a main story quest.
- Dossier: The Assassin: complete this mission to recruit Thane. There’s a cool ME1 callback here if you did a certain side quest.
- Dossier: The Justicar: a straightforward quest with no major consequences down the line. It gets you Samara.
- Scanning, Materials & Upgrades break: while you can do side quests whenever you like, this is another ideal period to take a load off and do any side content, scanning planets, and purchasing any upgrades you can afford. Major story events are coming, so it’s good to be prepared.
- Visiting Tuchanka: you heard a lot about the Krogan homeworld of Tuchanka in the first Mass Effect, but now you can experience it. There’s all the normal hub world distractions here, plus a chance to reunite with a friend if they survived ME1.
- Mordin’s Loyalty Mission - Old Blood: while on Tuchanka, undertake Mordin’s loyalty quest. This is a quest whose repercussions will echo loudly in ME3 , so consider your choices carefully.
- Grunt’s Loyalty Mission - Rite of Passage: While you’re on Tuchanka, also undertake Grunt’s loyalty mission. Be sure to bring another squadmate with a high damage output on this one, like Zaeed. You only have to survive the battle for 5 minutes, but if you successfully kill the beast you’ll get an even better reward.
- Collector Vessel [automatic]: like Horizon, this is a generally story-advancing mission that’ll trigger automatically after you’ve logged five missions post-Horizon. You’ll also be able to pick a weapon specialization here.
Act 3 Mission Order: Loyalties Secured
- Jacob’s Loyalty Mission - The Gift of Greatness: this is a straightforward mission.
- Miranda’s Loyalty Mission - The Prodigal: another straightforward mission, with choices that will be minorly referenced in ME3.
- Garrus’ Loyalty Mission - Eye for an Eye: help Garrus get his revenge.
- Thane’s Loyalty Mission - Sins of the Father: you must stay close to your target and get the information you ended at the end.
- Samara’s Loyalty Mission - The Ardat-Yakshi: you must successfully lure Morinth and not lose her in order to obtain loyalty.
- To get the best ending of this mission, both Kal’Reegar and Veetor must have survived the earlier Tali missions & be present.
- Jack’s Loyalty Mission - Subject Zero: after completing this simple mission, Jack and Miranda will have a fight. You must resolve it with a Paragon or Renegade dialogue option to keep both of them loyal; taking a side revokes one character’s loyalty.
- Zaeed’s Loyalty Mission - The Price of Revenge: at the end of the mission, you must make a choice between Zaeed’s wishes and innocent lives. Renegade Shepard can easily side with Zaeed and get his loyalty; Paragon Shepard must pass a difficult check to talk him down and keep him loyal.
- Project Overlord: this DLC is a multi-mission series and brings back the vehicle from the Firewalker DLC. It also has minor repercussions in ME3, depending on the coices you make.
- The Point of No Return: at this point, you should have one story mission on your plate - the Reaper IFF. Once you tackle this mission, it’s a rollercoaster ride to the end - so make sure you have all character loyalties, Normandy upgrades, have completed side missions, and done everything you want to do on hub planets. Treat starting the Reaper IFF Mission as ME2's point of no return .
ME2 Ending & Postgame
- IMPORTANT NOTE: after acquiring the Reaper IFF, you can only trigger two specific missions without incurring negative consequences - Legion's Loyalty Mission and Tali's Loyalty Mission. If you take on ANY OTHER MISSION, some of Normandy's crew will die during the Suicide Mission. Do not travel to any other location other than those two missions, not even to scan planets .
- Tali’s Loyalty Mission - Treason: as well as being a mission you can fail, the outcome has major repercussions in ME3. If you didn't do this mission earlier, you can now do it here and take Legion along for the ride, resulting in some very unique dialogue. To get the best ending of this mission, both Kal’Reegar and Veetor must have survived the earlier Tali missions & be present.
- Legion’s Loyalty Mission - A House Divided: complete this loyalty mission. At the end, Tali and Legion will end up in conflict. As with Jack and Miranda, use the Paragon or Renegade dialogue option to end the argument without losing either’s loyalty.
- The Suicide Mission: after some story events that begin the next time you access the Galaxy Map, you’ll finally undertake the ME2 finale. Head through the Omega 4 Relay - and brush up on how to get the best ending with our ME2 Suicide Mission walkthrough . After the game is over, load up your completed game to tackle two DLC missions best experienced post-game.
- Lair of the Shadow Broker / Give Liara Intel: go back to Illium and finally talk to Liara about starting this mission. While this DLC mission will be on your galaxy map from early on and you'll have to actively avoid starting it on your earlier visit to Illium, it works best as a coda to ME2 in our opinion. It’s arguably the best mission in the game; enjoy it!
- Arrival: this DLC was the last released for ME2, and basically is a little mini prologue to Mass Effect 3. It actually becomes available any time after Horizon, but it totally fits best into the story if you do it here, at the very end of ME2. After it’s complete, save - and move on to ME3 - which we also have an ME3 mission order guide for, too!
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Mass effect 2: optimal mission order.
In BioWare's Mass Effect 2, Shepard has the freedom to tackle most missions in any order. What is the best order to follow?
For the most part, Mass Effect 2 is a linear RPG. However, the game does give you some freedom when it comes to mission order. Each act of the adventure has an abundance of quests to take on, and it doesn't matter which you do first or which you save for later.
RELATED: 10 Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Yet, playing each mission in a specific order can improve a playthrough in various ways. For instance, if you complete quests in the optimal sequence, you lower the risk of losing characters by the end of the game. Plus, your narrative experience can be enhanced simply by doing certain missions at certain times. So, here is the order in which you should complete all of the main content.
Prologue: Joining Cerberus
During Mass Effect 2's prologue, you have no control over which missions you play . The sequence of events includes an attack on the Normandy, Shepard joining Cerberus, and a visit to Freedom's Progress.
The lack of freedom in the opening stages makes sense as the game slowly introduces you to its mechanics and sets up the story.
Mission Order:
- Prologue: Save Joker
- Prologue: Awakening
- Freedom's Progress
ACT 1: Putting Together Your Team
Things start to open up once the prologue ends as the Illusive Man gives you multiple recruitment missions to do at your leisure . You also have a few other quests to keep you busy.
RELATED: Mass Effect 2: Every Squad Recruitment Mission, Ranked
Optimal Mission Order:
- Normandy Crash Site – A few characters suggest that your first objective should be to head to Omega to meet the Professor. Although, it seems more appropriate to visit the wreckage of the original Normandy to say one last goodbye before getting into the game.
- Dossier: The Veteran – Three of your future squadmates are on Omega, so that's where you should head next. Zaeed is near the entrance to the space station, and you're guaranteed to pass him upon entry. His dossier 'quest' is just a simple conversation. Thus, there's no need to ignore the veteran merc.
- Dossier: The Professor – Picking up Mordin Solus early makes a lot of sense because, at that point, he's the most valuable person to have on the team as he can help deal with the Collector seeker swarms. Logically, Shepard wouldn't go for anyone else first besides Zaeed.
- Dossier: Archangel – Recruiting Archangel is the last vital thing to do on Omega in the early stages. Therefore, you may as well find the vigilante after you've got Mordin.
- Project Firewalker – This one can be done anytime before the Reaper IFF mission as it's not that important.
- Dossier: The Thief – You’ll want to go to the Citadel at this point in the game. Like Zaeed, this mission is one conversation, which takes place right where you enter the station.
- Citadel: The Council – It can be argued that you should do this quest earlier. After all, Shepard is likely excited to see Anderson for the first time in a while. Yet, during the assignment, Anderson and the Council share their concerns about you working for Cerberus. The line of questioning surrounding Shepard's new organization works better when you've actually done a few missions for them.
- Kasumi: Stealing Memory – It's nice to complete this one soon after meeting Kasumi as the specifics and reasoning for the mission are fresh in your mind. Although, you can really do it anytime before the Reaper IFF
- Dossier: The Convict – It doesn’t matter what order you do the Jack and Grunt dossier missions as long as they're completed after the other quests in this act.
- Dossier: The Warlord – See above.
- Horizon – This mission triggers after you recruit Mordin, Garrus, Jack, and Grunt.
ACT 2 – Part 1: Finishing Recruitment
After the Horizon quest, the Illusive Man points you toward three more people you should recruit. Plus, this is when loyalty missions start appearing, so make sure you're regularly talking to your teammates.
For the first part of this act, you can only do five quests before triggering the next Collector assignment.
- Dossier: Tali – Story-wise, it makes sense for you to recruit Tali straight away in act 2 because of Shepard’s pre-existing relationship with the Quarian. What's more, she's arguably the best Mass Effect companion ever .
- Dossier: The Justicar – Both the Justicar and Assassin dossier quests are initiated on Illium, so it's good to get them done one after another. It doesn't matter which mission you do first.
- Dossier: The Assassin – See above.
- Grunt: Rite of Passage – At this point, you’ve only got two quests left to complete before triggering the next Collector mission. Therefore, it's a good opportunity to do the two Loyalty missions on Tuchanka (Grunt and Mordin).
- Mordin: Old Blood – See Above.
- Collector Ship – Once you've completed five missions after Horizon, this critical quest will automatically begin.
ACT 2 – Part 2: Gaining Loyalty
You have plenty of freedom in the wake of the Collector Ship investigation as the game doesn't force you to start the next mission. In fact, you want to avoid initiating the Reaper IFF quest for quite some time .
RELATED: Mass Effect 2: Every Loyalty Mission, Ranked From Worst To Best
Instead, the second part of act 2 is about getting almost all of the loyalty missions done . And these quests are crucial because they help you keep everyone alive during the Suicide Mission .
- Miranda: The Prodigal – The order in which you do most loyalty missions isn't important. However, besides Kasumi and Zaeed, Miranda or Jacob will likely ask for help first. Therefore it's logical that Shepard wouldn't leave the two Cerberus agents waiting too long.
- Jacob: The Gift of Greatness – See Above.
- Garrus: Eye for an Eye – Because of the close bond Shepard and Garrus share, the Commander would help the Turian before most others.
- Thane: Sins of the Father – As Thane's search for his son takes place in the same area as the Garrus quest, aka the Citadel, you should do this right afterward.
- Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi – It doesn't matter when you do Samara's quest as long as it's before the Reaper IFF.
- Tali: Treason – When Tali tells you about her trial, she'll strongly encourage you to deal with it immediately. However, there's no actual timer on the mission, and it's better to save it until you've built up enough Paragon or Renegade points to get the quest's best ending.
- Jack: Subject Zero – After Jack's mission, you’ll need to break up a fight between her and Miranda. To keep the loyalty of them both, you need to have a high enough percentage of Paragon or Renegade points. Even though it's based on percentage, it seems easier to keep them both happy in the later stage of the game. Also, you witness some of the awful things Cerberus has done during the quest, which from a narrative standpoint makes sense to do now that you're late in the game.
- Overlord – This is another one that shows you more of the sick experiments Cerberus was doing. Once again it works better at this point just before Shepard's relationship with the organization starts to deteriorate.
- Zaeed: The Price of Revenge – Zaeed's mission will be available for a long time, and this is pretty much your last chance to do it. You don't have to leave it this late, but as Paragon players need to pass a very high morality check to make Zaeed loyal, it's best to save it until now.
Act 3: Endgame
Act 3 serves as the endgame , and it doesn't allow much time for side content. So, make sure that you've done everything before starting these quests .
- Reaper IFF – Completing this mission sets in motion the last stretch of the game.
- Legion: A House Divided – After acquiring Legion from the IFF quest, you'll need to activate and talk to him multiple times to receive his loyalty mission. You may need to travel to a different part of the ship and come back to get him to talk to you again after the first conversation. For the best possible ending to the game, you'll want to help Legion as soon as you can.
- Save The Ship – This short mission will start the next time you use the galaxy map after the Reaper IFF has finished installing.
- The Suicide Mission – If you want to save everyone on the Normandy crew, you'll have to enter the Omega 4 relay almost immediately after the last quest. By using the relay, you'll initiate the Suicide Mission.
- Lair Of The Shadow Broker – As it’s disconnected from the main story, you can do Lair of the Shadow Broker after the credits have rolled. Plus, if Legion survived the last quest, you get a rare chance to use him for what is arguably the best expansion in the series .
- Arrival – Arrival is a great way to end Mass Effect 2 as it works as a bridge between the second and third games.
Next: Mass Effect Legendary Edition Complete Guide And Walkthrough
Mass Effect Legendary Edition mission order guide
The best mission order to get the most out of the remastered Mass Effect Trilogy, here's how to play Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Jen Rothery
Updated: Dec 6, 2022
Looking for the best Mass Effect mission order for your Legendary Edition playthrough? In each game there are several main quests which take place on different planets, and these can be done in any order you like. Eventually, you unlock a clearly signposted final mission which serves as the ‘point of no return’. After this, you’re no longer able to complete other quests, meaning you might be locked out of the best endings if you haven’t been thorough enough in your questing.
Making sure you’ve completed all the quests you need before embarking on the final mission is essential, but when it comes to playing through the main game prior to this point, you can either decide for yourself which planets to visit first, or you can consult the wisdom of seasoned players who have put together recommended mission order lists for each game.
This includes recommendations on which crewmates to take with you on missions where they have unique voice lines, information on small changes that might arise if you fulfil prerequisites before a mission, and even advice to help the games’ narrative ‘flow’ better. We’ve also got tips on when to play Mass Effect DLC missions. Here’s our recommended Mass Effect Legendary Edition mission order list.
Mass Effect 1 mission order
Mass effect 2 mission order, mass effect 3 mission order.

The recommended Mass Effect 1 mission order is:
- Feros/Noveria
We recommend you head to Therum first to grab Liara. If you leave her recruitment until after Feros and Noveria, she suffers from the length of her imprisonment, and will initially treat you and your squad as hallucinations. Leave Therum until after Virmire, and she will be in a significantly worse condition when you arrive. This also prevents her from becoming a Mass Effect Legendary Edition romance option in the first game, as there isn’t enough time to get friendly with her.
If you want to see her alternate scenes, we recommend leaving her until last on a second playthrough. Poor Liara.
Whether you complete Feros or Noveria first is really up to you, although Noveria is easier, and Feros has a particularly tricky charm/intimidate check. The companions you bring are also up to you, though we recommend bringing Liara and Wrex to Noveria – Wrex has a lot to say, and Liara should be there for plot reasons.
You can complete the Bring Down the Sky Mass Effect 1 DLC as soon as you leave the Citadel for the first time – complete this whenever you feel like it.
The Virmire mission is the point of no return , so make sure you’ve completed as many side missions as possible, particularly Wrex’s Family Armor quest. Many of the side quests are referenced in later games, but if you’re skipping some, make sure to complete the UNC Rogue VI mission. You should also purchase the Elkoss Combine license at some point as this is useful in ME3.

The recommended Mass Effect 2 mission order is as follows. First, we will cover the recruitment missions. Some characters have unique dialogue in these missions, so to hear the most unique content, you should make sure you’re able to take them with you.
Mass Effect 2 recruitment order:
- Dossier the Veteran
- Dossier the Master Thief
- Dossier the Professor – Zaeed and Kasumi have extra dialogue
- Dossier the Warlord – Mordin has unique dialogue here
- Dossier Archangel – Grunt and Zaeed have substantial unique dialogue
- Dossier the Convict – Miranda and Grunt have unique dialogue, as does Garrus
- Dossier Tali
- Dossier the Assassin – Garrus has unique dialogue
- Dossier the Justicar – Thane has some unique dialogue
We recommend doing Horizon at any point after getting Garrus, and bringing Miranda.

Mass Effect 2 loyalty mission order:
- Mordin – Garrus and Tali both have unique dialogue here
- Grunt – there is no unique dialogue, but you may want Mordin for the story
- Jacob – Mordin has unique dialogue here
- Thane – Tali and Garrus both have unique dialogue
- Kasumi – this mission has unique dialogue depending on how far you’ve progressed through the game
- Miranda – Jack has some unique dialogue, but it’s a little uncomfortable bringing her
- Jack – Miranda has unique dialogue. Leaving this mission until later helps her plotline flow better, too
- Tali – Legion has a lot of unique dialogue; leave until after Reaper IFF – see below
- Legion – same as above
Collector Ship automatically triggers five missions after Horizon. The other missions – Firewalker, Project Overlord, and Normandy Crash Site – can be completed whenever you feel like breaking up the chain of loyalty missions. For plot reasons, Overlord works well later in the game, before Tali’s loyalty mission.
Reaper IFF is the point of no return , after which a timer begins. You have enough time to complete two more missions before incurring major losses, which should be Tali’s loyalty mission, and then Legion’s loyalty mission, so you can experience their full dialogue. After this, hurry over to the suicide mission, if you know what’s good for you.
Note that your choices during Tali and Legion’s loyalty missions contribute to a pivotal conversation check in ME3. Preventing Tali’s exile without incriminating her father helps you pass this check, as does destroying the geth heretics at the end of Legion’s mission. However, you can pass the check having only fulfilled one of these criteria, as long as you defuse the argument that follows the loyalty missions, and save Admiral Koris during a mission on Rannoch in ME3. Also, bear in mind that in order to even attempt the aforementioned pivotal check, there are additional criteria you must fulfil in ME3.
Wondering when to play the ME2 DLC? We recommend saving Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival until after the final mission. This way, you can unlock all of Legion’s conversations, also allowing you to get the appropriate response from Liara if you romanced her in the first game and someone else in ME2. Feel free to play LotSB earlier, though, if you miss her.

Our recommended Mass Effect 3 mission order is as follows – this guide presumes that all your squadmates survive ME2. You can swap a few of these around depending on how you feel you should prioritise – we’ll signpost the most important missions to complete before moving on. Every companion has unique dialogue in each mission, but we’ll mention the ones that we recommend for plot or utility reasons.
- Priority: Earth
- Priority: Mars
- Priority: Citadel I
- From Ashes Mass Effect 3 DLC – Priority: Eden Prime – to recruit a new squadmate
- Priority: Palaven – James, Garrus, and Liara are good companions here
- N7: Cerberus Lab
- Priority: Sur’Kesh – Garrus and Liara
- Grissom Academy: Emergency Evacuation – Garrus and EDI. This must be completed before Priority: Citadel II
At this point, we recommend you head to the Citadel and talk to everyone, so you don’t miss out – particularly Thane, Liara, Kelly, Miranda, and Jondum Bau.
- Citadel: Hanar Diplomat
- Aria: Blood Pack/Blue Suns/Eclipse
- Tuchanka: Turian Platoon – bring Garrus. Be sure to do this mission before Priority Thessia
- Tuchanka: Bomb – after this unlocks, there’s a time limit; complete three other missions first and it will fail
- Attican Traverse: Krogan Team – Javik and Garrus
- N7: Cerberus Attack
- N7: Cerberus Abductions
- N7: Communication Hub
Complete all Citadel side quests before moving on.

- Priority: Tuchanka – Javik and Liara
- Priority: The Citadel II – Javik and Garrus. After the mission is over, be sure to warn Miranda about Kai Leng.
- Citadel: Volus Ambassador
- Citadel: Batarian Codes
- Mesana: Distress Signal/ Ardat-Yakshi Monastery – Liara
- Arrae: Ex-Cerberus Scientists – Kaidan/Ashley and EDI
- N7: Cerberus Fighter Base
You can now start a ME3 romance by talking to your squadmates.
- Omega Mass Effect 3 DLC: Citadel: Aria T’Loak
- Priority: Perseus Veil
- Priority: Geth Dreadnought – bring Garrus if you romanced him. If you’re romancing Tali, start your relationship before this mission; if you are romancing her but had a different partner in ME1, bring your ME1 love interest to this mission
- N7: Fuel Reactors
- Rannoch: Admiral Koris – Tali and EDI. You must do this mission before Priority Rannoch
- Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons – Tali
We recommend visiting the Citadel again at this point.
- Priority: Rannoch – to pass the final conversation check, both Tali and Legion must be alive and loyal, Tali must not have been exiled, and you must have passed the check during their ME2 argument. You must have completed Geth Fighter Squadrons, saved Koris, and have four bars of Reputation
- Priority: Citadel III . Finish any Citadel side missions after this
- Priority : Thessia – Javik and Liara
- Priority: Horizon. For the best outcome, you must have spoken to Miranda three times, warned her about Kai Leng, and given her Alliance resources
- Leviathan Mass Effect 4 DLC: Citadel: Dr. Bryson
- Mahavid – bring your love interest
- Despoina – bring your love interest
- Citadel Mass Effect 3 DLC – Citadel: Shore Leave – leaving it till last means everyone can attend the party
- Silver Coast Casino Infiltration – bring your love interest, Wrex, or Javik.
- Citadel Archives: Escape – EDI and Wrex
- Citadel Docks: Retake the Normandy – Wrex and Ashley or Kaidan
- Citadel: Party
- Priority: Cerberus Headquarters – this is the point of no return
And there you go – time to make a new Shepard with our Mass Effect face codes guide and start the whole thing all over again, maybe this time with some Mass Effect Legendary Edition mods to change up your game.
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Jen Rothery When Jen isn't dominating in Dota 2 , she’s looking for clues about new Genshin Impact characters, working on her aim in Valorant , or waving her sword around the tavern in MMOs like New World . Formerly our Deputy Guides Editor, she can now be found at IGN.


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Mass communication is typically categorized as messages delivered through broadcast, print and digital media. News organizations use television and radio stations, newspapers, and websites to disseminate news and information.
A mass structure is a structure that is made by combining similar materials into a certain shape or design. Mountains are an example of a natural mass structure, and brick walls are an example of a man-made mass structure.
According to Genes & Development, a heterogeneous mass in biology is a tumor with both normal cells and neoplastic cells, which are cells of abnormal growth tissue. Heterogeneous masses are called solid tumors and can be cancerous.
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Mass Effect 1 mission order; Mass Effect 2 mission order; Mass Effect 3 mission ... Many of the side quests are referenced in later games