Garrus, Wrex and Tali can subsequently be picked up upon Shepard's first trip to the Citadel. Related: Mass Effect Shows How Aliens Influenced Human EvolutionĪshley and Kaidan can be recruited as early as the very first mission of ME1, while in the colony of Eden Prime. While this is primarily a concern in ME2, which focuses on Shepard building up a team to travel to the Collector base at the end of the game, characters can be recruited at various intervals in Mass Effect 1 as well. Other impacts aren't as severe - players will have more time to spend with crewmates they pick up earlier in the games compared to characters they meet later on. If players don't utilize the correct order for missions in Mass Effect 2, it can have drastic consequences such as resulting in the death of various Normandy crew members.
This is the case for Mass Effect 1 as well as its sequels. While players are allowed to complete assignments in any order, each game has an optimal order of events that allows Shepard to maximize time spent with their companions and keep things progressing smoothly. As players progress through the trilogy of games featured in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, they should be aware of the heavy impact mission order can have on the series.