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Mass Effect 3 Guide

Take back the Earth Mass Effect 2 Guide contains complete walkthrough to all quests, maps, system requirements and achievements list. Best tips for combat, weapons, armors, assets, endings and exploration.

Last update: 30 October 2022

This game guide to Mass Effect 3 is a complex and complete compendium of knowledge that will help you successfully complete this space adventure and discover 100% of the game's content. Our guide starts off with a beginner's tips section for casual players who begin their experience with the series. You can also find out some details about system requirements of ME3 and how long it takes to complete the game.

Mass Effect 3: Guide contents
Mass Effect 3: Beginner's Tips
Mass Effect 3: All main quests
Mass Effect 3: All side quests
Mass Effect 3: Romances
Mass Effect 3: War Assets
Mass Effect 3: Weapons and unique items - Listings
Mass Effect 3: World Atlas and Galaxy Map
Mass Effect 3: PC System Requirements
Mass Effect 3: Game Length

Mass Effect 3: Guide contents

The first large chapter of our guide is a detailed walkthrough of the Mass Effect 3 storyline. In our guide we mainly cover the quests of the main storyline - you will find out how to complete objectives and make progress, how to win important battles, how to deal with bosses and what important choices Shepard has to make. The main storyline is supplemented by pages on preparations for the grand finale and the available game endings. Of course, our guide also includes descriptions of all side quests, which were divided into several different categories (including quests at the Citadel, minor quests and N7 missions).

The second major chapter of this guide is the world atlas, which was designed to help you complete the game in 100% and find all secrets and collectibles. The atlas opens with a chapter about war resources - you will learn how to acquire and reinforce them. In the items and equipment chapter you will learn how to obtain new weapons and upgrades for them, how to equip Shepard with new armor or where to find stores in the game world. A larger chapter of the world atlas is also dedicated to the exploration of the galaxy. It contains, among others, information on where to look for resources and artifacts, and how to explore the game world. The maps of the Citadel and Normandy are of high quality and they mark important locations, passages and NPCs.

The last major chapter of the guide focuses on in-game romances. You will learn who you can romance with depending on whether Shepard is a male or a female character. We have prepared a step by step guide for each romance. This will allow you to determine when it's appropriate to become intimate with a specific character, how to develop a romance, and how to possibly end up sleeping with and/or becoming permanently involved in a close relationship with a particular NPC. We have also prepared some hints in case you have failed trying to romance a specific character.

Mass Effect 3: Beginner's Tips

In this section we have prepared some beginner's tips for people who are begining their journey with Mass Effect 3 campaign for the very first time. You can find more extensive hints on a separate Getting Started Tips page in our guide.

It would be best to continue the campaign from ME2. You can do this by importing a saved game from Mass Effect 2. This will allow you to keep all of your previous choices, such as how Shepard acted at important moments, who died, or with whom a romance was started.
Regularly talk with your companions on Normandy. Return to them after each major mission you complete to check for new scenes or dialogue options. This will allow you to strengthen relationships and potentially start a romance.
Send a diverse team on missions. This means having, for example, a soldier, a biotic and a technology specialist. This will allow you to be ready for different types of threats and attack enemies that are resistant to certain types of strikes more effectively.
Watch out for the Reapers on the galaxy map. They may start hunting Normandy after their vigilance bar fills up. In order not to fail the campaign, you must immediately throw yourself into flight in such a situation.
Save the game as often as possible. This will allow you to protect yourself in case you make a bad decision in a scene or have failed to take advantage of a special behavior option. This is especially important if you want to achieve the best ending of the game.

Mass Effect 3: All main quests

Below is a list of major quests of the main storyline of ME3. Their descriptions can be found on the following pages of our guide. In addition to the quest descriptions on separate pages we discussed the preparations for the game's finale and the available game endings of the Mass Effect trilogy.

Mass Effect 3: All side quests

The side quests have been divided into four main groups in Mass Effect 3 walkthrough:

Citadel Missions - These are all missions that are completed entirely on the Citadel without leaving it.
Missions outside of the Citadel - These are all missions that you complete in other corners of the galaxy (such as Grissom Academy).
Mini-Tasks - These are short and uncomplicated missions that usually consist in finding and delivering an item (such as a protean artifact).
N7 Tasks - These are all N7-type missions commissioned by Traynor the specialist that can be completed on the maps available in the co-op mode.

Lists of side missions available in each group can be found below.

Citadel Missions

Missions outside the Citadel

Side missions

N7 Missions

Mass Effect 3: Romances

Romances are an important feature of ME3, and as a result we've prepared a detailed section about them in this guide. You'll learn how romances work and who you can start a romance with, as well as who you can sleep with or with whom you may get into a closer relationship.

List of possible romances - Shepard (male):

Ashley Williams (only if she is still alive and if she doesn't die during the new campaign; it doeasn't matter if you romanced her in the first part of the series);
Diana Allers (only if you have invited her aboard the Normandy);
Jack (only if she's still alive; romance has to be started in the second part of the series in order to continue it in ME3);
Kaidan Alenko (only if he's still alive and he was not killed during the course of a new campaign; homosexual relationship);
Kelly Chambers (only if she is still alive and if she does not die during the new campaign; it is required to start a romance with her in the second part of the series);
Liara T'Soni (only if she is still alive; whether you romanced her in the first part of the series plays no role);
Miranda Lawson (only if she is still alive and if she does not die during the new campaign; it is required to start a romance with her in the second part of the series);
Steven Cortez (homosexual relationship);
Tali'Zorah (only if she is still alive and if she does not die during the new campaign; it is required to start a romance with her in the second part of the series).

List of possible romances - Shepard (female):

Diana Allers (only if you have invited her aboard the Normandy; homosexual relationship);
Garrus Vakarian (only if he is still alive and if he does not die during the new campaign; it is required to start a romance with him in the second part of the series);
Kaidan Alenko (only if he is still alive and he was not killed during the new campaign);
Kelly Chambers (only if she is still alive and she was not killed during the new campaign; required to start romance with her in the second part of the series; homosexual relationship);
Liara T'Soni (only if she is still alive; whether you romanced her in the first part of the series plays no role; homosexual relationship);
Samantha Traynor (homosexual relationship).

Mass Effect 3: War Assets

Unlocking and strengthening war assets is a very important part of the Mass Effect 3, as this is directly related to the strength of the allied fleet. We have covered this topic in detail in the War Assets chapter of our guide.

Mass Effect 3: Weapons and unique items - Listings

Our world atlas for ME3 includes various weapons, armor, unique items, secrets, and codex entries that can be obtained as you make progress in the game. By using the information in our guide you will be able to get 100% of the available collectibles and treasures.

Mass Effect 3: World Atlas and Galaxy Map

In our Mass Effect 3 game guide, you will find valuable information that may help you in exploration of the game world. We've also prepared high-quality maps of the game's two main locations, which you will return to many times throughout the campaign.

Mass Effect 3: PC System Requirements

Processor: 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD equivalent
Memory: 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Graphics card: 256 MB of memory (supporting Pixel Shader 3.0)
DirectX: 9.0c
Storage space: 15 GB
Operating system: Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7

More information about the recommended system requirements for Mass Effect 3 can be found in a separate section of this guide - System Requirements.

Mass Effect 3: Game Length

Completing the main story in Mass Effect 3 should take you less than 25 hours, only if you focus on the main storyline and won't play on a high difficulty level. If you want to complete 100% of the main campaign, you will need to spend at least 40 hours with the game. The game can also be extended by large story DLCs.

For more information on how long it takes to complete the standard version of Mass Effect 3 and its add-ons, go to the Game Length page of our guide.