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Play the Shepard trilogy in this order: Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect 2 (2010), then Mass Effect 3 (2012). Their release order and story chronology are the same: Commander Shepard’s story takes place in 2183, 2185 and 2186. Play Mass Effect: Andromeda afterward if you want its separate Pathfinder campaign; its playable story is set roughly six centuries after Mass Effect 3 in the Andromeda galaxy.
The correct Mass Effect play order at a glance
There is no complicated rearrangement for a first playthrough. Start with the original Mass Effect, continue directly to Mass Effect 2, finish with Mass Effect 3, and then decide whether to visit Mass Effect: Andromeda. The first three games form one continuous Shepard arc, while Andromeda follows a new protagonist and a different expedition.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Mass Effect Legendary Edition - PlayStation 4 | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Mass Effect (Legendary Edition) - For Xbox Series X | $19.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Mass Effect Legendary Edition - Origin PC [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51u4qsXeCeS._SL160_.jpg)
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Mass Effect Legendary Edition - Origin PC [Online Game Code] | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Import) | $18.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| Order | Game | Original release | Story setting | Role in the series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass Effect | 2007 | 2183 | Introduces Commander Shepard, the Normandy crew, the Council and the central threat. |
| 2 | Mass Effect 2 | 2010 | 2185 | Continues Shepard’s campaign, develops the squad and carries forward imported decisions. |
| 3 | Mass Effect 3 | 2012 | 2186 | Concludes the original trilogy’s main conflict and resolves consequences from earlier choices. |
| 4 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | 2017 | Approximately six centuries after Mass Effect 3 | Begins a separate Ryder-led campaign in the Andromeda galaxy. |
| — | Mass Effect Legendary Edition | 2021 | Covers 2183–2186 | A remastered collection of the three Shepard games, not a new story chapter. |
The 2021 Legendary Edition is a package containing the trilogy, so it does not belong before Mass Effect 2 as a fourth episode. You launch the collection, select Mass Effect, and proceed through the same three-game sequence.
Why release order and story order match
The Shepard narrative was designed as a sequential arc. Mass Effect establishes the political situation and Shepard’s role; Mass Effect 2 follows the aftermath and expands the personal stakes; Mass Effect 3 brings the wider conflict to its conclusion. The in-universe years advance from 2183 to 2185 to 2186, so there is no prequel that needs to be inserted between the numbered games.
#1 Best Overall
- One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced.
- Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
- Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, including promo weapons, armors, and packs - remastered and optimized for 4k Ultra HD.
Choices can travel from one game to the next. Decisions made in the first game can alter conversations, available allies, missions and later consequences. Skipping the opening game means losing the context for those imported decisions and meeting characters without the relationships that the trilogy expects you to understand. Even if you eventually replay the series with a different character build or moral approach, the first game is the proper starting point.
What changes between games
- Character state: later games can use information from your earlier save or an equivalent import process.
- Relationships: choices about friends, rivals and major factions can affect later scenes.
- World state: the trilogy assumes that major events in one game happened before the next begins.
- Gameplay: combat and progression evolve from game to game, but those mechanical changes are not a reason to reorder the story.
Chronological timeline: 2183 through the Andromeda era
2183 — Mass Effect
Shepard’s first campaign takes place in 2183. It is the foundation for the trilogy: you learn how the galactic government works, meet the Normandy crew and begin making the decisions that later entries can recognize. This is both the earliest playable point in the Shepard story and the first game released.
2185 — Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is set in 2185, two years after the first game’s story. It is not a side story or an optional interlude. Its missions, squad relationships and decisions form the middle chapter of the trilogy and provide essential context for the final game.
2186 — Mass Effect 3
The final numbered game takes place in 2186. It follows the events of Mass Effect 2 and asks the player to deal with the accumulated consequences of earlier choices. For that reason, starting here undermines much of the trilogy’s intended payoff, even if you know the broad plot.
The Andromeda expedition and its six-century gap
Mass Effect: Andromeda is set in another galaxy. The expedition begins around the era of the original trilogy, but the colonists spend about 600 years in cryosleep while travelling to Andromeda. The playable Ryder campaign therefore occurs roughly six centuries after the events of Mass Effect 3.
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- Three Games – One Launcher: Play through the single-player base content and over 40 DLC from all three games, including promo weapons, armors, and packs
- Remastered for a New Generation - Experience the trilogy in 4K Ultra HD with enhanced performance, visuals, and graphics, all available in HDR
- Visual Improvements on All Three Games - Updates include enhanced models, shaders, FX, lighting, and depth of field plus full-resolution audio
- EXPERIENCE THE LEGEND OF SHEPARD - Create and customize your own character, from appearance and skills to a personalized arsenal then lead your elite recon squad across a galaxy in turmoil
This makes Andromeda a branch from the original setting rather than a fourth Shepard chapter. You do not need to complete it to understand the trilogy, and you do not need to play it before the trilogy. Playing it after Mass Effect 3 is the clearest way to experience the chronology and to avoid expecting Shepard, the Normandy crew or the trilogy’s unresolved relationships to continue in the same form.
Should you start with Legendary Edition?
For most newcomers, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the practical starting point. It packages the single-player base content from all three Shepard games and more than 40 pieces of downloadable content, according to its 2021 product description. The collection also supports carrying your choices from one game to the next within the trilogy.
| Starting option | What you receive | Best for | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legendary Edition | All three Shepard games, remastered presentation and more than 40 single-player DLC items. | New players who want one modern collection and the broadest included single-player package. | It is still three separate games played in sequence, not one continuous campaign. |
| Original releases purchased separately | The individual 2007, 2010 and 2012 games, with availability and included add-ons depending on the edition and store. | Players who already own the originals or specifically want those versions. | You must verify which single-player add-ons and save-transfer options your editions provide. |
| Mass Effect: Andromeda | A separate 2017 Ryder campaign in Andromeda. | Players who have finished the trilogy and want a new setting and cast. | It is not a replacement for any Shepard game and is chronologically much later. |
The collection’s remaster status does not change the narrative order. Open the first game inside the collection, complete it, then move to the second and third. Treat the collection as the edition you are using, not as an additional chapter in the timeline.
How to preserve your choices across the trilogy
- Begin a new campaign in Mass Effect. Make the decisions you want to own as part of your personal canon. Explore optional missions when you care about their characters or consequences; they can add context later.
- Finish the first game before starting the second. Avoid replacing your completed run with a different profile unless you intentionally want a new continuity.
- Use the available save-import or continuation option for Mass Effect 2. Select the completed first-game save when the game asks which Shepard history to use.
- Complete Mass Effect 2 and import that outcome into Mass Effect 3. This preserves the middle chapter’s squad and mission decisions for the finale.
- Keep backup saves before major decisions. A separate save lets you revisit a choice without replaying an entire game, while still leaving your main continuity intact.
The exact menu labels can differ between the original releases and the collection, but the principle is the same: finish each game, then choose that completed history when beginning the next one. If an import is unavailable, later games provide ways to establish a starting history, but those alternatives cannot reproduce every personal decision from a real playthrough.
Where downloadable content fits
Legendary Edition includes the trilogy’s single-player base content and more than 40 DLC items. That makes it easier to experience optional missions, characters and equipment without separately assembling every add-on.
Rank #3
- One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced.
- Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
- Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, including promo weapons, armors, and packs - remastered and optimized for 4k Ultra HD.
There is no single official, mission-by-mission chronological list for placing every DLC item. Some add-ons are naturally suited to the middle or end of a game, while others can be started at multiple points. If you follow a detailed DLC sequence found in a guide, treat it as editorial advice rather than an official timeline.
A sensible first-playthrough approach
- Play the main campaign of each game in its normal progression.
- Complete optional squad and loyalty content before the game’s clearly signposted endgame whenever possible.
- Read each add-on’s in-game description and start it when its characters and premise make sense in your current campaign.
- Do not delay the next numbered game solely to locate a perfect order for every optional item; preserving the trilogy’s main continuity matters more.
Common order questions answered
Is Andromeda before or after Mass Effect 3?
After, by playable chronology. The expedition leaves around the original trilogy’s era, but cryosleep creates a journey of about 600 years. Ryder’s story unfolds roughly six centuries after Mass Effect 3 in Andromeda.
Is Andromeda Mass Effect 4?
It is a separate campaign, not the fourth chapter of Shepard’s numbered trilogy. It has a new protagonist, Ryder, a different galaxy and a distinct expedition premise.
Do I play Legendary Edition before Mass Effect 2?
No. Legendary Edition is the 2021 remastered collection of Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. Start the first game inside the collection, then continue to the second and third.
Can I start with Mass Effect 2?
You can, but it is a poor first-playthrough choice if you want the trilogy’s full continuity. You would miss the first game’s setup and begin with a state that is meant to reflect earlier decisions.
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Can I start with Mass Effect 3?
You can technically launch it, but the finale assumes knowledge of the first two games and their accumulated choices. It is best reserved for a replay or for someone who has already experienced the earlier story.
What comes next for the franchise?
BioWare executive producer Mike Gamble wrote on November 7, 2025, that the next Mass Effect game was in development and that Electronic Arts and BioWare remained committed to telling more stories in the universe. That statement confirms ongoing development, but it does not provide a release date or establish where the game will fall in the timeline.
A planned television series was also described as telling a new story set after the original trilogy. No release date was provided in that announcement, so it should not be inserted into a game-play order.
The simplest recommendation
Choose Mass Effect Legendary Edition if you want the most straightforward modern package, then play its three games in order: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3. Import each completed campaign into the next. Only after finishing the Shepard trilogy should you move to Mass Effect: Andromeda, whose Ryder story takes place roughly 600 years later in another galaxy.
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