Mass Effect 3 Side Missions Guide: Journal Categories and Best Timing
Mass Effect 3’s side content is organized into several distinct mission categories inside the Journal, and knowing what each one involves makes it much easier to decide what to do—and when. Below is a practical breakdown of the main side mission types, plus the key timing problem you’ll need to account for as the story progresses.
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In Mass Effect 3, Side Missions are sorted into multiple categories within the Journal. Citadel Missions can be discovered by listening to conversations and then interacting with the people you meet while you’re on the Citadel. N7 Missions are assigned by Specialist Traynor aboard the Normandy after you complete main story segments. Search and Rescue Missions revolve around the game’s featured retrieval mechanic: you go out to recover specific items and return them to the NPCs who requested them. Reunion Missions, meanwhile, are focused on bringing a character back—specifically reuniting with someone from Mass Effect 2—via a dedicated mission space.
Before We Begin
Side Missions in Mass Effect 3 are difficult to discuss in a simple “do these whenever” way because the story mission titled “Priority: The Citadel 2” serves as a major turning point. When that milestone is reached, a number of side tasks can expire, meaning you’ll be unable to finish them afterward. Because of that, each Side Mission generally falls into one of three timing outcomes:
- A Side Mission must be completed before “Priority: The Citadel 2.”
- A Side Mission can be started before “Priority: The Citadel 2,” but it may be completed later at any point.
- A Side Mission can be started before “Priority: The Citadel 2,” but it won’t be completable until after the milestone.
To reflect those differences, the mission tables for Citadel tasks and Search and Rescue tasks are grouped into sections based on when you should handle them. If you want a complete set of items to check, you’ll need to consult the page for “Priority: Tuchanka.”
- Priority: Tuchanka (Potential Spoilers)
With that timing context in mind, here’s how each Side Mission category is commonly structured.
Citadel Side Missions
Citadel Side Missions are the ones you begin while you’re on the Citadel itself. This section includes every Side Mission whose primary label starts with the “Citadel: ” prefix, though a few of these can overlap with Search and Rescue missions in how they’re designed.
N7 Missions
N7 Missions stand out as one of the more distinctive Side Mission types in the game. They make use of the original six multiplayer maps—though the multiplayer content is presented as happening after Shepard has already visited those locations, as shown by Hackett committing forces to them afterward. Aside from their relatively short structure, N7 Missions don’t share much with the N7 Assignments from Mass Effect 2.
Search and Rescue Missions
Search and Rescue Missions are essentially fetch-style Side Missions. You start by speaking with someone on the Citadel, then you head out to track down the item they want, and finally you return it to receive the reward. In many cases, you can even retrieve the requested item before you talk to the NPC the quest is tied to. Some Citadel Side Missions follow a similar “go get it and return it” formula, but this section only addresses those that do not use the “Citadel: ” prefix.
Reunion Missions
Reunion Missions are a special category of Side Mission. Rather than being quick detours like N7 Missions, they are longer affairs and are comparable in scale to the Side Missions found on key planets during Acts 2 and 3 of the main campaign. They’re also built around a returning character from Mass Effect 2.
More Mass Effect 3 Help
If you want additional guidance beyond side mission breakdowns, the guide set also points you toward several other pages:
- Legendary Edition Changes
- How-To Guides
- Key Choices and Consequences
- Romance Guide
- Walkthrough
- Side Missions
Up Next: Citadel Missions
Top Guide Sections
- Legendary Edition Changes
- Game Basics
- Tips and Tricks
- How-To Guides
