The firstMass Effectgame revolves around Commander Shepard and their quest to hunt down Saren and Sovereign to save the galaxy from destruction. However, the protagonist doesn’t spend all of their time on a single quest. Alongside the game’s main missions is an abundance of assignments for players to complete, all of which are included in theMass Effect Legendary Edition.
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The side quests focus on other happenings in the galaxy, which Shepard needs to sort out. They offer a nice reprieve from the main quest and add some life to the galaxy, making it feel lived in. Some assignments can be a little repetitive, but plenty of others are worth playing.
Updated on January 16th, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan:The first game from the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition trilogy has players take control of Commander Shepard to save the galaxy from the Saren, Sovereign, and the Geth. In addition to the main quest, players can undertake many side quests that are found all over the galaxy. These side missions, or assignments, as the game calls them, add some variety to the gameplay allowing Shepard to help people in a more one-on-one way. While some side-quests can be tedious for players, other side missions can be just as engaging as the main quest, if not more.
15Garrus: Find Dr. Saleon
Loyalty missions don’t exist in the original game, but some assignments relate to specific companions. For instance, the search for Dr. Saleon concerns perhapsthe best squadmate, Garrus. Dr. Saleon, aka Dr. Heart, is a cruel Salarian who used to clone organs inside his patients' bodies to sell, often causing complications for the victims. When he was a part of C-Sec, Garrus tried to stop the evil physician, but Saleon slipped away.
If Shepard talks to the Turian enough throughout the game, he’ll tell the tale of Dr. Saleon and give the Commander coordinates to find the villain. The action in the assignment is limited, yet the compelling backstory makes up for it. Plus, it’s always nice to see great characters like Garrus get some spotlight.
14Asari Consort
Shepard can find the consort’s chambers in the southeastern part of the Citadel. Inside, they will meet Sha’ira the consort, who’ll task them with getting a Turian General to leave her alone. The general is spreading lies about Sha’ira and all Shepard will need to do is talk to him.
Once done, they can return to Sha’ira where they can get one of two rewards, either a romance scene or a Prothean trinket that leads to an easter egg on the planet Eletania.
13UNC: Missing Marines
Relatively early in the game, Shepard can speak with Admiral Kahoku, who sends him on an assignment to find his missing marines. At the last known coordinates of Kahoku’s team, the player finds only dead bodies and a huge Thresher Maw.
In the original game, fighting the giant monster wasn’t too interesting. Yet, theLegendary Editionhas made several exciting alterations to Thresher Maw battles. Maws now have sensory tentacles that players must shoot to get it out of hiding, which adds more variety to fights. Furthermore, their aim is incredible as they predict the Mako’s movements, making their acid spit much harder to dodge.
12Noveria: Espionage
Not every assignment inMass Effectis about violence. In ‘Noveria: Espionage,’ Shepard has to keep Rafael Vargas talking while a device hacks into his personal network.
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To please the Asari who gave Shepard the job, the player has to convince Vargas that they’re genuinely interested in buying something from Binary Helix. Since this isMass Effect, there are multiple ways for the quest to play out, partially based on whether Shepard is Paragon or Renegade. It all makes for a unique and compelling assignment that players can find near the Hotel bar on Noveria.
11Homecoming
The quest is a short one but may have an emotional impact on players. The quest can be acquired after Tali joins Shepard’s party. They will find an NPC in front of the embassy front desk at the Presidium who is trying to get the Alliance to recover his wife’s body from Eden Prime.
Shepard can intervene on his behalf and talk to the clerk responsible who will release the body. It’s a small quest that takes only a few minutes to complete, but it is one of the few which can touch the players emotionally.
10Citadel: The Fan
Despite featuring sparingly in the trilogy, Conrad Verner is a memorable character. He’s a fanatic of Shepard’s, desperate to follow in his hero’s footsteps. At different points during the first game, he’ll be waiting down in the Citadel markets.
As part of ‘Citadel: The Fan,’ the Commander has several conversations with Verner. During each talk, Verner’s enthusiasm and delusion is funny to watch. Shepard’s reaction to their number one fan is always entertaining, regardless of the protagonist’s moral alignment.
9UNC: Geth Incursions (aka Geth Activities)
The Geth are amongthe most powerful races in theMass Effectuniverse, so Admiral Hackett is understandably concerned that they have multiple outposts in the Armstrong Nebula. As usual, it’s up to Shepard to put an end to the Synthetics' activities. The Commander must go around to each outpost and destroy the Geth forces waiting there.
The enjoyment of this assignment depends on players' feelings about the new Mako, as it features heavily in the mission. However, the main reason to do this quest is the important terminal at the final base. Shepard can give the data retrieved from this terminal to Tali, which will strengthen their relationship.
8Rita’s Sister
This side mission can be acquired at Flux where players will overhear a waitress, Rita, talking to her Volus manager about her sister. Upon exploring, Shepard learns that Rita’s sister is working on a dangerous assignment for C-Sec, and she is worried about her sister’s safety.
Shepard is then contacted by a C-Sec officer and can assist him in dealing with the matter themselves. In doing so, Shepard will complete the assignment he gave to Jenna, Rita’s sister, after which she will be free to go.
7UNC: Rogue VI
‘UNC: Rogue VI’ is an assignment given to the player by Hackett. The Alliance Admiral asks Shepard to go to Earth’s moon and destroy the out-of-control VI that’s taken over Luna Base. During the mission, the Commander and their team shoot through an abundance of flying drones.
As players spend most of the story facing Geth or Krogan, the drones are a nice change of pace. The real reason to complete this quest, though, is because it rewards the player with a Class Specialization. If players choose the right Specialization, it can make them significantly stronger.
6Hostile Takeover:
The mission is available after Shepard completes the main missions on the planets Therum, Noveria, and Feros. They’ll need to hack one of the terminals at the C-Sec Academy to pick this side mission up. C-Sec will be investigating a suspected criminal named Helena Blake who can be found in the Financial District.
She’ll ask Shepard to take out two of her business partners. The quest is short but fun and depending on how players complete the quest, Helena Blake will appear in the second game of the trilogy.
