Mass Effect Legendary Edition: What Carries Over
Mass Effect Legendary Edition bundles the three original games with all their single-player DLC, but it does not carry over your old saves from the original releases. You start fresh in Mass Effect 1, and your choices in that playthrough then carry forward into Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 within the Legendary Edition’s own save system. This article explains exactly how that import system works, what transfers between games, and what you should know before you start.
Background: Why the Import System Exists
The original Mass Effect trilogy was designed as a continuous story where your Shepard’s decisions, relationships, and survival status follow you across all three games. BioWare built a save-import system so that the consequences of your choices in Mass Effect 1 affect who appears, what missions are available, and how characters treat you in Mass Effect 2 and 3. The Legendary Edition keeps this system intact—it’s not a remake but a remaster, so the underlying save structure is the same as the original games, just with updated graphics and gameplay tweaks.
One key difference: the Legendary Edition does not read saves from the original 2007, 2010, or 2012 releases. The game uses a new save format, and old saves are incompatible. You must begin with Mass Effect 1 and play through the trilogy in order to get the full import experience. If you skip straight to Mass Effect 2 or 3, you’ll be given a default world state with some choices already made (like who survived the previous game), but you won’t get the personalized experience.
How Importing Works Between Games
When you finish Mass Effect 1, the game automatically creates a save file that Mass Effect 2 can read. At the start of Mass Effect 2, you’ll be prompted to import a character from Mass Effect 1. Similarly, finishing Mass Effect 2 creates a save for Mass Effect 3. The import carries over your Shepard’s appearance, class, level, and key decisions. You can also import a character from a previous playthrough to New Game+ within the same game, which lets you start with a higher level and some bonuses.
Here’s what specifically carries over from Mass Effect 1 to 2:
- Your Shepard’s appearance (face, hair, skin tone) and gender.
- Your class (Soldier, Adept, etc.) and the level you reached at the end of ME1.
- All major story choices: who you saved on Virmire, whether you let the Council die, who you romanced, and whether you killed or spared the Rachni queen.
- Your Paragon/Renegade reputation score, which gives a small bonus to your reputation in ME2.
- Your bonus talent points from ME1 (if you imported a high-level character).
From Mass Effect 2 to 3, the import includes:
- Your Shepard’s appearance and class (though you can change class at the start of ME3).
- All major ME2 decisions: who survived the suicide mission, whether you destroyed or kept the Collector base, loyalty outcomes, and who you romanced.
- Your Paragon/Renegade reputation score again.
- Your imported save also carries over your Shepard’s level, but ME3 sets you to a minimum level 30 if you import.
How to Choose a Starting Point
If you’re new to the trilogy, the best approach is to start with Mass Effect 1 and play through in order. That’s how the import system is designed, and it gives you the most complete story. If you’ve played the originals but want to experience the Legendary Edition, you’ll need to replay ME1 to get a save to import—there’s no way to port your old saves or recreate them manually.
If you want to skip ME1, you can start a new game in ME2 or ME3, but the game will generate a default world state. For ME2, the default assumes you made certain choices: you saved the Council, Kaidan survived Virmire, you didn’t romance anyone, and the Rachni queen was spared. For ME3, the default assumes a specific ME2 outcome: most squadmates survived, the Collector base was destroyed, and you didn’t romance anyone. These defaults are fine for a quick playthrough, but they won’t reflect your personal choices.
If you want to change your Shepard’s class between games, you can do that at the start of ME2 or ME3, but note that your imported level and some bonuses will be adjusted. Changing class resets your powers, but you keep your level and reputation.
Common Problems and Misconceptions
One common misconception is that you can carry over your weapons, armor, or credits. You cannot. Each game has its own equipment and economy, so you start fresh in ME2 and ME3 regardless of what you had before. Your inventory from ME1 does not transfer, and your credits are reset.
Another issue: if you import a character who is at a very high level (say, level 50 from ME1), you might find ME2’s early game too easy because you start with a high level but with no equipment. The game does scale enemies to your level, so it’s not a huge problem, but it can feel odd. The same applies to ME3 if you import a level 30+ Shepard.
Also, note that the Legendary Edition has a bug where importing a save from ME1 that was created before a certain patch might not carry over your bonus talent points correctly. This is rare, but if you notice your Shepard is missing a few points, you can respec at the start of ME2.
Comparisons: Legendary Edition vs Original Imports
In the original games, you could import saves from previous games in the same way, but there were some differences. The original ME1 had a level cap of 60, but the Legendary Edition raised it to 30 (with a new experience curve). This means your imported level in ME2 will be scaled differently—a level 30 in Legendary ME1 is roughly equivalent to a level 60 in the original. The import system still works the same, but the numbers are different.
Another difference: the Legendary Edition includes the DLC for all three games, so your imported save might reference DLC content that wasn’t available in the original releases. For example, if you imported a save from ME1 that didn’t have the Pinnacle Station DLC (which was not included in Legendary Edition), the game handles it gracefully—you just don’t get that content.
Finally, the Legendary Edition’s graphics and gameplay changes (like improved aiming and better cover mechanics) don’t affect the import system. Your choices still carry over exactly as they did in the original.
Costs and What You Get
The Legendary Edition is a single purchase that includes all three games and their DLC. There’s no additional cost for the import feature—it’s built into the game. However, if you want to experience the full import chain, you’ll need to invest time in playing through ME1, which is the longest of the three games (roughly 20-30 hours for a main story playthrough).
The value of the import system is that it makes your choices feel meaningful. For example, if you saved the Rachni queen in ME1, you’ll get a different mission in ME3. If you romanced Liara in ME1 and continued that romance in ME2, you’ll get unique dialogue in ME3. These payoffs are the reason to play through the trilogy in order.
Safety and Save Management
Your saves are stored locally on your console or PC. It’s a good idea to manually back up your saves, especially before making major decisions. On PC, you can find your saves in the Documents/BioWare folder. On consoles, you can use cloud saves or USB storage. If you’re planning to import a save, make sure you don’t overwrite your ME1 save file after finishing—you’ll need it if you want to replay ME2 with different choices.
Also, be aware that the import system only reads the most recent save from the previous game. If you have multiple ME1 playthroughs, you’ll need to select the correct one when importing into ME2. The game will show you the character’s name, class, and level, so you can tell which save you’re importing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import my old Mass Effect 1 save from the original game into Legendary Edition?
No. The Legendary Edition uses a new save format and does not read saves from the original releases. You must start a new game in Mass Effect 1 within the Legendary Edition to create a save that can be imported.
Does my level carry over from Mass Effect 1 to 2?
Yes, your level carries over, but it’s converted to the new level scale. In Legendary Edition, ME1 has a level cap of 30, and ME2 starts you at the equivalent of your imported level, but with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 30. You also get bonus talent points based on your level.
Can I change my Shepard’s appearance between games?
Yes, you can edit your Shepard’s appearance at the start of Mass Effect 2 and 3, even if you import a save. The import will carry over your default appearance, but you can change it before starting the game.
What happens if I skip Mass Effect 1 and start with Mass Effect 2?
You’ll be given a default world state with preset choices. You won’t have any imported decisions, and some characters may appear or act differently than if you had played ME1. You can still play through ME2 and import that save into ME3, but the ME1-specific choices will be the defaults.
Do my Paragon/Renegade points carry over?
Yes, your reputation points carry over, but they are scaled down. In ME2, you get a small bonus to your reputation based on your ME1 score. In ME3, you get a similar bonus from ME2. This helps you unlock reputation-based dialogue options faster.
Can I import a save from Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3 if I didn’t finish ME2?
No. You must complete Mass Effect 2’s main story (including the suicide mission) to create a save that can be imported into ME3. If you have a save from before the final mission, it won’t be recognized as a valid import.
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