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Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the definitive way to experience one of the best trilogies in the games industry. With updated graphics, optional changes to bring the first game in line with its sequels, and nearly all of the games’ DLC, it is the best way to see the story for the first time or revisit it. But, it is also a great game to boost your gamerscore with and has a whopping total of 2,915 across 127 achievements.
Even players who don’t want to fill up the game’s achievement list will earn many achievements just by naturally playing through the games. Players who just want to run through the main story of the trilogy can expect to spend around 58 hours or 95 with the DLC. Players who get all achievements will spend about 108 hours instead.
Bottom Line Up Front Summary: Getting all of the achievements in Mass Effect Legendary Edition can be done in a single playthrough of the second game, a little over one playthrough of the third game, and one full playthrough of the first game and two half playthroughs after that. A majority of the achievements can be earned by playing through the story of all three games on Insanity difficulty and making sure to use all of the abilities of each class and squad member numerous times. Players will also want to use the same character throughout all three games and explore a romance option in every game. 100% Mass Effect Legendary Edition is not very difficult but does require a lot of time as it is three entire games bundled together.
Mass Effect
Mass Effect was originally released in 2007 and received the most changes for the Legendary Edition. Not only were its controls overhauled, but so was its XP and leveling to put it in more in-line with the leveling mechanics of the two sequels. You can revert the changes to their traditional way, but the updates help make it a bit more accessible for new players. It is also the only game in the Legendary Edition that is missing a DLC, as its DLC pack Pinnacle Station was unable to be accessed by the developers.
Story Achievements
Many of the achievements in Mass Effect are earned simply by playing through the game’s story missions and its DLC. Players can use any of the game’s classes for their playthroughs or do a Renegade or Paragon playthrough. Still, completionists should play on Insanity difficulty to avoid doing a second run through the game. All of the achievements you don’t have to worry about missing by playing this way are below.
Medal of Honor
Gamerscore: 125
Missable: No
Difficulty: 5
Players receive this achievement for completing the game.
Distinguished Service Medal
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 1
You unlock this achievement by completing the first mission in the game, Eden Prime.
Medal of Heroism
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Feros.
Honorarium of Corporate Service
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked once the player completes the planet Noveria.
Council Legion of Merit
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked once the player completes the planet Virmire.
Meritorious Service Medal
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 5
This achievement is for completing the mission on the planet Ilos.
Spectre Inductee
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 1
Players get this achievement after completing Eden Prime and spending some time on the Citadel.
Search and Rescue
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked when the player completes the mission in the Artemis Tau cluster.
Colonial Savior
Gamerscore: 75
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 5
You unlock this achievement by completing the Bring Down the Sky DLC mission. The DLC is not required to finish the game, and you can start it by going to the Asgard System.
Side Content Achievements
Mass Effect is also a series all about exploration and discovery. The games repeatedly see players traveling among the stars, traversing unknown regions, and making exciting discoveries along their journey. There is a lot of content in all three games that players can entirely miss if they only do the main quest. All of the content is well worth doing; some reward the player with the achievements listed below.
Completionist
Gamerscore: 75
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 7
The Completionist achievement requires players to complete several missions and assignments during their playthrough. To make sure that you get the achievement, you’ll want to do as many as you can before embarking on the final quest, as you won’t get the chance to go back and do more without loading a prior save. The best way to get the achievement is to complete all of the Citadel assignments you find while exploring and any of the assignments you run into while playing through the main story. Both assignment types are relatively fast to complete and ensure it doesn’t take up too much more time.
Charismatic
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 0
This achievement is effortless to unlock. You unlock it by using any Paragon or Renegade decisions that appear throughout the game.
Principled
Gamerscore: 75
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement by making most of the Paragon or Renegade decisions throughout the game. However, the two options counteract one another, so players will want to decide which way they want their Commander Shepard to act and only choose those options during their run through the game.
Archivist
Gamerscore: 20
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
For the Archivist achievement, you have to find 13 different Codex entries explained below.
| Codex Entry | Location |
| Asari | Unlocked after the player’s first meeting with the Council |
| Salarian | Unlocked after the player’s first meeting with the Council |
| Turian | Unlocked after the player’s first talk with Nihlus at the start of the game |
| Batarian | Unlocked by talking with Anderson and using the options to ask about his past after Shephard becomes a Spectre |
| Elcor | Unlocked by interacting with an Elcor. You can find one in the embassy next to the human office |
| Geth | Unlocked by asking Ashley about the Geth after meeting her on Eden Prime |
| Hanar | Unlocked by asking a merchant in the Citadel’s Emporium about them |
| Keeper | Unlocked by asking an Avina terminal next to one on the Citadel |
| Krogan | Unlocked after you recruit Wrex |
| Volus | Unlocked by interacting with a Volus. You can find one in the embassy next to the human office |
| Quarian | Unlocked after you recruit Tali |
| Protheans | Unlocked by choosing Prothean dialogue options when talking to Anderson and Nihlus at the beginning of the game |
| Rachni | Unlocked by asking the Avina terminal near the Krogan statue by the Citadel’s Emporium about them |
Medal of Exploration I, II, III
Gamerscore: 20, 20, 20
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock the three Medal of Exploration achievements by visiting a certain number of uncharted worlds, with a total of eight needed to unlock all three. You can access these planets on the galaxy map. For the achievement, players just have to land on the planets, but exploring them can lead to side quests that help flesh out the game’s universe while also giving gear and resources as rewards, which will help you survive a playthrough on Insanity.
Combat Achievements
Throughout Mass Effect, players always have two squad members with them that each can be leveled up, talked to, and have their combat abilities. The squad members are a large part of what fans love about the games, and to unlock all achievements, players will have to spend time with each one. Each squad member has an associated achievement for doing five missions with them, which is most of the game. This means that players will want to focus on using two squad members for their main Insanity playthrough and then can do two half-playthroughs focused on other squad members on a lower difficulty.
Playing with every squad member also helps the player unlock other achievements for using the game’s various abilities, as instructing a squad member to use them also counts towards completing those achievements. So, when using a squad member for an achievement, it is best to repeatedly use their abilities on enemies during the missions to make sure that they are unlocked.
Soldier Ally
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
Players have to complete five missions with Ashley in their squad to complete this achievement. She doesn’t have any biotic or tech capabilities, so you’ll want to pair her with squad members who do. Ashley may die during the mission on Ilos, so make sure you have hers out of the way before then.
Sentinel Ally
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement unlocks for completing five missions with Kaiden. He has biotic powers, so so should be paired with a tech or firearm-focused squad member. Kaiden can also die during the mission on Ilos, so make sure you have his assignments out of the way before then as well.
Krogan Ally
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
Players unlock this achievement by playing five missions with Wrex. Wrex has a lot of health and fits into any squad composition, although you should pair him with squad members who can cover tech abilities.
Turian Ally
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement unlocks after finishing five missions with Garrus in your squad. Garrus has some tech abilities and focuses on long-range engagements with his sniper rifle, so you’ll want to pair him with someone who excels at closer combat or has biotic skills.
Quarian Ally
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement unlocks after doing five missions with Tali as a squad member. Tali is a very tech-heavy character, and you should use her with other members focused on biotics or firearms.
Asari Ally
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You achieve this by doing five missions with Liara as a squad member. She is primarily a biotic character paired with members focused on tech abilities or firearms. She also has to be unlocked by completing the Artemis Tau cluster mission, so you’ll want to do that as soon as possible when going for this achievement.
Lift Mastery
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by using the biotic ability Lift on 25 enemies. You can use Lift by picking the Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard class or with Kaiden or Liara.
Barrier Mastery
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by using the biotic ability Barrier on 25 squad members. You can use Barrier by playing an Adept, Vanguard, or Sentinel, or with Kaiden, Liara, and Wrex.
Throw Mastery
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement requires the player to hit 25 enemies with the Throw biotic ability. You can use Throw using the Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard class or with Kaidan, Liara, and Wrex.
Warp Mastery
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement is for using the biotic Warp ability on 25 enemies. You can do this with Shepard using the Adept or Vanguard class and either Liara or Wrex.
Stasis Mastery
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
To achieve this, you have to use the biotic Stasis ability on 25 enemies. The player can use stasis if they use the Adept or Sentinel class and Kaidan, Liara, and Wrex.
AI Hacking Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement using the AI Hacking tech ability on 25 robotic enemies. Players can pick the Engineer class or use Tali to cast AI Hacking.
Damping Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement unlocks after the player uses the tech Damping ability on 25 enemies. The player can use damping if they are an Engineer or Infiltrator and Garrus and Tali.
Electronics Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock Electronics Specialist by using Shield Overload on 25 enemies. The player can use this ability if they are an Engineer, Infiltrator, or Sentinel, using and as well as by Garrus, Kaidan, and Liara.
Sabotage Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement requires you to hit 25 enemies with the Sabotage ability, unlocked in the Decryption skill tree. It can be used by players with the Engineer, Infiltrator, or Sentinel class as well as by Kaidan.
Neural Shock Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement unlocks by using the Neural Shock ability on 25 enemies. You use Neural Shock by choosing the Engineer or Sentinel class or through Kaidan.
First-Aid Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement requires you to use Medi-gel 50 times. You will likely unlock this achievement while playing through the game on Insanity.
Miscellaneous Achievements
Paramour I
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
To get this achievement, you have to romance one of the squad members in the game. To do so, you’ll want to check in with the squad member you wish to romance whenever you return to the Normandy to see if they have anything new to say. You’ll also want to make sure that you make decisions they will like. If you play a male Shephard, you can romance Ashley while female Shephards can romance Kaidan, and either one can romance Liara.
Insanity I
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 9
You have to play the entire game on Insanity difficulty to get this achievement without ever changing it. Insanity can be pretty challenging for new players, but here are some tips to make it easier:
- Make sure to explore every combat arena and area to get as many resources as possible. Thoroughly exploring will not only help you find plenty of med-gel to keep Shepard and squad members alive but will also give you money to stay geared up.
- Get as many upgrades as possible. Throughout the game, you will find opportunities to purchase upgrades or new gear, and picking them up can make a huge difference for you moving forward.
- Use cover and be patient. Mass Effect combat is about using cover effectively and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Finding good cover can be difficult during the game’s more punishing boss fights but will get you through most combat encounters.
- Understand the powers at your disposal. Understanding when to use biotic or tech-related abilities is crucial to taking down the game’s more challenging enemies and can make killing high-value targets much more manageable.
Recruit
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
This achievement is for killing 250 enemies in any of the three games. You should unlock this achievement without trying on your first playthrough.
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is widely regarded as the best entry in the Mass Effect series thanks to its fantastic characters, good stories, and combat that improves its predecessor. The game’s achievements are also similar to those in the first game. Players will yet again want to romance any of the squad members that can be while playing on Insanity difficulty to complete it in a single playthrough. However, players will also want to import their character from the first game to work towards the Long Service Medal Achievement for beating all three games with the same character.
Story Achievements
Mass Effect 2 is also similar to the first game in that many of the achievements will be unlocked simply by playing through the game’s main questline and DLC. The game’s major DLC is Project Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker. For the best narrative experience, play Project Overlord after completing the Collector Ship mission and play Lair of the Shadow Broker last to transition into Mass Effect 3. All of the plot achievements are listed below.
Mission Accomplished
Gamerscore: 125
Missable: No
Difficulty: 5
This achievement is awarded to the player when they complete the main storyline.
Missing in Action
Gamerscore: 5
Missable: No
Difficulty: 0
You unlock this achievement by playing through the brief introduction at the start of the game.
Very Elusive
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 1
You unlock this achievement by completing the tutorial and first section of the game where Shephard escapes from the Cerberus facility.
Colony Defense
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Go to Horizon.
Ghost Ship
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 5
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Collector Ship.
Suicide Mission
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 4
This achievement is unlocked when the player goes through the Omega 4 Relay near the end of Mass Effect 2‘s storyline.
Against All Odds
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 5
This achievement is unlocked when the player completes the suicide mission at the end of the game.
Friend or Foe
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked after the player retrieves the Reaper IFF.
The Archangel
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: Archangel on Omega.
The Assassin
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: The Assassin.
The Convict
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: The Convict.
The Justicar
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: The Justicar.
The Krogan
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: The Krogan.
The Professor
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: The Professor.
The Quarian
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Dossier: The Quarian.
Digital Exorcist
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission for the Overlord DLC.
Heart of Darkness
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement when the player completes the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC.
Side Content Achievements
Mass Effect 2 also has a lot of side content like its predecessor, from loyalty missions for squad members to scanning planets to collect resources and find assignments. To 100% the game, players will have to play every character’s loyalty mission, but this is good to get to know all of the characters better and improve their combat abilities. The side content players will have to tackle in Mass Effect 2 is below.
A House Divided
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing Legion’s loyalty mission.
Battlemaster
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing Grunt’s loyalty mission.
Cat’s in the Cradle
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
Players can unlock this achievement by finishing the loyalty mission for Thane.
Catharsis
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing Jack’s loyalty mission.
Doppelganger
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
Players get this achievement after they finish the loyalty mission for Samara.
Fade Away
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You will get this achievement after you finish the loyalty mission for Garrus.
Ghost of the Father
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by doing the loyalty mission for Jacob.
The Cure
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked once the player finishes Mordin’s loyalty mission.
The Prodigal
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked when the player completes Miranda’s loyalty mission.
Treason
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by finishing the loyalty mission for Tali.
Big Game Hunter
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by doing the loyalty mission for Grunt.
Revenge!
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement after the player finishes Zaeed’s loyalty mission.
Broke, Blind, and Bedlam
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is earned by doing Kasumi’s loyalty mission.
Operative
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by doing one mission discovered by scanning an unexplored world.
Agent
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by doing five missions discovered by scanning worlds during your playthrough.
Galactic Explorer
Gamerscore: 65
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 1
You have to scan every planet in a new cluster to get this achievement.
Scientist
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 0
You unlock this achievement by completing a research project in the Normandy’s science lab.
Weapon Specialist
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement for fully upgrading a weapon through the Normandy’s science lab research projects.
Scholar
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 1
You unlock this achievement by unlocking 15 new Mass Effect 2 codex entries. You should get more than 15 just by playing through the game naturally.
Power Full
Gamerscore: 5
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by evolving one of the powers in the game. You can do this by maxing out a character’s level with an ability, which allows you to choose from two variations of the power.
Combat Achievements
Like Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 has a few achievements for using its various abilities a certain number of times. You unlock these achievements by using the skills through squad members, and you’ll have to play with each one for at least their loyalty mission, which will allow you to use their abilities to unlock the achievements.
Head Hunter
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by getting 30 headshot kills on humanoid targets. You’ll have the easiest time doing this with either a heavy pistol or sniper rifle. If you want to get it out of the way early in your playthrough, you can farm it when you first meet Jacob when escaping the Cerberus base. There, robots will infinitely spawn until you tell Jacob to use an ability on them, making them easy pickings for headshots.
Incineration Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by using the Incinerate ability on 25 enemies with a yellow armor health bar. Incinerate can be performed by players who choose the Engineer or Infiltrator class and Mordin.
Overload Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement using the Overload ability on 25 enemies with blue shield bars. Overload can be used by players with the Engineer or Sentinel class and by Miranda, Garrus, or Kasumi.
Warp Specialist
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement using Warp on 25 enemies with purple barrier bars. Players can use Warp with the Adept or Sentinel class and Liara, Miranda, and Thane.
Merciless
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement by making 20 enemies scream as they die. You can do this by either throwing enemies off of high ledges or killing them with Incinerate so that you set them on fire.
Tactician
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing 20 power combos on enemies. These are done by hitting the same enemy with multiple biotic powers to combo them together. You can do this easily by hitting an enemy with the Pull power before hitting them with any other one.
The Suicide Mission
The last mission in Mass Effect 2 is called The Suicide Mission and is an iconic part of the series, thanks to how punishing it is. Throughout the mission, players will have to assign squad members to specific tasks, with it being possible for them, or even Shepard, to die. It is even possible to complete the mission with all characters dead. However, there is an achievement to ensure that every character makes it out alive:
No One Left Behind
Gamerscore: 75
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 7
To ensure that your squad members survive, you have to have them all loyal from completing their associated missions. You also want to do the assignment immediately after rescuing your team from being kidnapped, as doing too many assignments between them can result in deaths. It is also essential that you have the Normandy completely upgraded before starting the mission; this can also result in fatalities at the task’s start. The decisions and what squad members work best for them are below.
| Decision | Loyal Squad Members to Use |
| Vent Specialist | Tali, Legion, or Kasumi |
| Fireteam Leader | Miranda, Jacob, or Garrus |
| Long Biotic Walk | Jack, Samara, or Morinth |
| Second Fireteam Leader | Miranda, Jacob, or Garrus |
| Crew Escort | Any squad member, but you shouldn’t use Grunt, Garrus, or Zaeed as they help hold the Line |
| Holding the Line | Any combination of Grunt Zaeed, Garrus, Thane, Legion, Jacob, Miranda, and Samara/Morinth |
Miscellaneous Achievements
Paramour II
Gamerscore: 20
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 1
You have to have already gotten Paramour I in your Mass Effect playthrough to get this achievement. To get the second achievement, all you have to do is romance another character in Mass Effect 2. Male Shephards can romance Miranda, Tali, or Jack. Female Shephards can romance Jacob, Garrus, or Thane. Both genders can have romantic interactions with Kelly Chambers, Samara, and Morinth, but those interactions do not unlock the achievement.
Insanity II
Gamerscore: 75
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 8
This achievement is unlocked as long as you completed both of the first games on Insanity difficulty without ever changing the difficulty.
Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3 is the bombastic conclusion to the trilogy where many of the series’ plot threads come to a head, forcing the player to make massive decisions that impact the entire galaxy. Luckily, the game’s achievements are also relatively straightforward, especially if you carry use the same character, romance a companion, and complete it on Insanity difficulty on your first playthrough.
Story Achievements
Like both previous games, many of Mass Effect 3‘s achievements are for completing story quests, as well as for its DLC packs. I would recommend playing the Leviathan DLC after completing the second mission in the Citadel, the Omega DLC after completing the Palaven mission, and the Citadel DLC just before embarking on the final mission. The story-related quests are below.
Driven
Gamerscore: 5
Missable: No
Difficulty: 1
You unlock this achievement after playing through the introduction of the game.
Bringer of War
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement after completing the mission on Mars.
Mobilizer
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement during the mission on Palaven’s moon.
World Shaker
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Priority: Sur’Kesh.
Pathfinder
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement after completing the mission Priority: Tuchanka.
Tunnel Rat
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
After completing the side quest Attican Traverse: Krogen Team, you unlock this achievement. After completing the mission, you can find the mission Priority: Sur’Kesh by talking to Wrex/Wreav in the War Room.
Party Crasher
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Priority: Geth Dreadnought.
Hard Target
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by finishing the mission Priority: Rannoch.
Last Witness
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is unlocked during the mission Priority: Thessia.
Executioner
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 5
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Priority: Cerberus.
Well Connected
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement after the player completes the mission Priority: Horizon.
Patriot
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: No
Difficulty: 3
This achievement unlocks after finishing the mission Priority: Earth.
Legend
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: No
Difficulty: 4
You unlock this achievement to the player after finishing the game.
Last Resort
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement for completing the Citadel DLC, which can be started by checking your private inbox throughout the game.
Savior
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing the Omega DLC. You start this DLC by receiving a private message after completing the mission Priority: Palaven as long as you have talked to Aria in Purgatory on the Citadel.
Under Pressure
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 4
This achievement is for completing the Leviathan DLC. You start this DLC via a private inbox message after completing the mission Priority: Palaven.
Side Content Achievements
Mass Effect 3 also has many more achievements related to completing side quests throughout your playthrough that you can miss if you put them off for too long. These achievements are listed below.
Saboteur
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is for completing the sidequest Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons. The mission unlocks after completing Priority: Geth Dreadnought, and you have to do it before doing Reaper Base on Rannoch.
Arbiter
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 1
You unlock this achievement by using either the Renegade or Paragon option when talking to Ashley/Kaiden after fending off the Cerberus attack on the Citadel.
Fact Finder
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement for completing the mission Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery. The task is started by first doing the mission Mesana Distress Signal.
Liberator
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by doing the mission Grissom Academy: Emergency Evacuation. Specialist Traynor gives the assignment to the player and has to be completed before the mission Priority: The Citadel III.
Problem Solver
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by completing the mission Arrae: Ex-Cerberus Scientists that opens after finishing the mission Priority: Citadel II.
While playing through the game, you will also come across several other achievements by doing side missions or upgrading Shepard. These are listed below.
Lost and Found
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by using a probe to retrieve people or resources from a planet within Reaper territory ten times. To do this, players just have to scan planets in systems under the control of the Reapers to find points of interest. Then, it is as simple as sending a probe to collect them.
A Personal Touch
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 0
This achievement is for modifying a weapon. To do this, you just have to go to the armory aboard the Normandy and change any gun attachments.
Focused
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement is for leveling up any of your powers to rank 6. You will likely do this naturally through your playthrough, especially with the bonus points given to you from importing your character from Mass Effect 2.
Untouchable
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 1
You unlock this achievement by escaping a Reaper while navigating the galaxy map. To do so, go to a system with an icon labeling it as having a Reaper present. Then, fly around until they notice your ship and start pursuing you, upon which you simply have to use the Mass Relay to escape.
Always Prepared
Gamerscore: 5
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 1
This achievement is for purchasing two non-customizable sets of armor. There are five total sets that you can buy at the Citadel. The Terminus Armor, Blood Dragon Armor, Collector Armor, Cerberus Armor, and the Inferno Armor.
Gunsmith
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement is for getting a weapon to level 10. Weapons can only reach level 10 in New Game+, but doing so is relatively fast. The most accessible gun to do it for is the M8 Avenger assault rifle that you get at the start of the game. Once you get to the Normandy, you just have to run to the lowest level, use the weapon bench, and use your credits from your previous save to upgrade it to level 10.
The One and Only
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 8
You unlock this achievement by going to the Armax Arsenal Arena in the Silversun Strip of the Citadel. After completing multiple rounds against computer enemies, you will eventually unlock the Mirror Match enemy set. Once that is opened, you just have to finish that wave. If it is too demanding on Insanity, you can always leave a save just before it and load that save after completing the game and then lower the difficulty to normal.
Shopaholic
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 0
To get this achievement, you just have to visit any shop in the Citadel.
Combat Achievements
While playing through Mass Effect 3, you will again want to use several abilities on numerous enemies to unlock some achievements. However, you also have to complete a particular action on various enemy types. These are all listed below.
Combined Arms
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
This achievement is for completing 50 biotic combos or tech bursts. You do this by hitting an enemy with either two biotic abilities or two tech abilities simultaneously. However, the abilities have to hit an enemy, but the same character can use both.
Shield Breaker
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement is for using the Overload ability on 100 enemies with shields. You can use Overload with the Engineer or Sentinel class and Kaidan, Garrus, EDI, Nyreen, Miranda, and Kasumi.
Sky High
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by using the abilities Singularity, Pull, Throw, Lift Grenade, Concussive Shot, Biotic Charge, Lash, or Flare in any combination on 100 enemies. The number of abilities that count towards completion makes just about any squad member or player class able to contribute somehow.
Pyromaniac
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
This achievement is for setting 100 enemies on fire with powers. You can do this with Incinerate, Incendiary Ammo, or Inferno Grenades. If you did not kill Ashley in Mass Effect, she gains access to Inferno Grenades as a bonus ability.
Eye of the Hurricane
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
Eye of the Hurricane is given to the player if they manage to kill a Brute while it is charging at them. You can unlock it easily after meeting Garrus and finding the Reaper Blackstar weapon. The weapon has one shot you should on one of the three Brutes players come across shortly afterward.
Mail Slot
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 3
You unlock this achievement by killing ten guardian enemies with headshots from the front while raising their shield. You can do this easily with a sniper rifle as it helps the player hit the small hole in their shield where the player can see their head.
Hijacker
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 2
You unlock this achievement by hijacking an Atlas mech. To do this, you have to concentrate fire on the glass windshield of the mech until you kill the pilot operating it. Then, you just have to interact with it for Shephard to jump in and take control of it.
Giant Killer
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 5
This achievement is for killing a Harvester enemy. The easiest way to do this is during the Turian Platoon mission set on Tuchanka. They are easiest to kill with Warp and Incinerate, but it will take a bit longer without those powers.
Galaxy at War
While playing through Mass Effect 3, you constantly are working towards amassing resources to fight back against the Reapers when they come to wipe out life throughout the Milky Way. You can do this in various ways, but there is an achievement associated with gathering enough of them throughout the game.
Master and Commander
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 6
You unlock this achievement by bringing a certain number of assets to the final conflict. Getting enough assets is easy enough if you do side missions throughout the game, mainly since Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes the Extended Ending DLC. However, you should have at least 5800 resources to ensure you get the achievement, although you can get much higher. The achievement can unlock earlier, but the latest time it can is when you begin the attack on the Illusive Man’s base, so make sure you have a high enough score before starting that mission.
Miscellaneous Achievements
You will also earn a few achievements throughout your playthrough of the entire game, which is listed below.
Paramour III
Gamerscore: 50
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 1
This achievement is for having a romance in all three Mass Effect games. As long as you romanced a squad member in the two previous games, you just have to romance any of the options in Mass Effect 3. Male Shephards can romance Miranda, Tali, Jack, Ashley, or Steve Cortez. Female Shephards can romance Thane, Samantha Traynor, or Garrus. Either male or Female Shephards can romance Kaidan, Kelly Chambers (only if romanced in Mass Effect 2), and Liara. Players can also romance Diana Allers, Javik, Samara, and James Vega, but none of them will unlock the achievement.
Insanity III
Gamerscore: 100
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 8
This achievement is for beating all three of the Mass Effect games on Insanity difficulty without lowering the difficulty.
Long Service Medal
Gamerscore: 125
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 5
This achievement is for using the same character to beat all three Mass Effect games. To do this, players have to play the games in order and import their save into Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 when they start it. You will still get the chance to customize Shepard’s appearance as well as choose a class, even if it doesn’t match the one used in the last game. Using the same save file also imports all your decisions throughout your playthrough, making the narrative much more personalized and impactful.
Soldier
Gamerscore: 15
Missable: No
Difficulty: 4
This achievement is for killing 1,000 enemies throughout your playthrough of the three games. Depending on how many side missions and assignments you complete, it is possible to achieve this achievement in Mass Effect 2, but it could also take your playthrough of the last game. Some players have reported their cross-game kill count getting lost when using exploits, so make sure to just play through the games cleanly to make sure you unlock it when you should.
Veteran
Gamerscore: 25
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 6
This achievement is for killing 2,000 enemies across your entire playthrough of the three games. It is possible to unlock this by just playing if you do enough side missions and assignments, but it is also very likely that you will have to grind for it. You can do this by going to Armax Arsenal Arena after you finish Mass Effect 3, lowering the difficulty, and just completing waves of enemies as quickly as possible.
Bruiser
Gamerscore: 10
Missable: Yes
Difficulty: 6
This achievement is for killing 100 enemies with melee attacks, which can be very difficult on Insanity. The easiest way to unlock this achievement is to lower the difficulty after you finish Mass Effect 3 and do it in the combat simulator or melee the monkeys during the UNC: Lost Module mission in Mass Effect 1 on Eletania. There, you can melee kill the monkeys and reload your save to do it repeatedly until the achievement unlocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Is There a Particular Class Best Used to Unlock Achievements in Mass Effect Legendary Edition?
Answer: Any class will work just fine, and you can even change your class in between games if you want to experiment. However, if you have issues while playing on Insanity, you may have better luck using a more rigid class like Soldier or one that allows you to keep your distance with a sniper rifle.
Question: Do you Have to Side with Squad Members During their Loyalty Missions?
Answer: No, you will unlock the achievement and the associated benefits for your squad member regardless of your decisions during their missions.
Question: Is Paragon or Renegade Better?
Answer: It comes down to personal preference. All achievements that require either can be unlocked using both, so the critical part is just picking one and sticking with it throughout your playthrough until Mass Effect 3, where you can do both simultaneously.
Conclusion
Overall, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a great game to play through, whether it be for the achievements or not. Completing the game is not very difficult, especially once you get used to the game’s combat on Insanity difficulty. Then, the biggest obstacle is the time investment required to play through all three games, but they make it more than worth your while to do so.
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