Mass Effect 3 - Genesis 2

Mass Effect: Genesis 2 is an "interactive backstory comic" produced by Dark Horse Comics for Mass Effect 3: Special Edition for Wii U, and is included on-disc. Genesis 2 fills the role of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 for new players to the series, introducing them to the story of the first two games in the Mass Effect trilogy and allowing them to make some of the major plot decisions that players could make by playing through the previous games. The player is prompted to begin Genesis 2 after character creation, but using it is optional. There are two versions of the comic, one each for a male and female Commander Shepard.

The six choices that players can make in Mass Effect are as follows:

• Who (if anyone) became Shepard's love interest?
• Was the Rachni Queen on Noveria freed or destroyed?
• What is the fate of Urdnot Wrex on Virmire?
• Who is sacrificed on Virmire, Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko?
• What happened to the Citadel Council during the Battle of the Citadel?
• Who does Shepard endorse to represent humanity on the Council, David Anderson or Donnel Udina?

The six choices that players can make in Mass Effect 2 are as follows:

• How many squadmates did Shepard recruit, all of them or only some?
• Did Shepard resolve or ignore the conflicts between squadmates?
• Did Shepard stay true to friends from Mass Effect, or move on?
• Did Shepard immediately go through the Omega 4 Relay to rescue the crew, or improve the Normandy SR-2's weapons and armor first?
• Did Shepard start a new romance?
• Did Shepard choose to spare or destroy the Collector Base?

Mass Effect: Genesis 2 cannot be used if the player imports a save file from Mass Effect 2 into Mass Effect 3.

Genesis 2 does not mention some events and subjects that were part of Mass Effect, namely possible romance options, the mission on Feros, and the geth and their overall involvement in the game. Additionally, no assignments are explored - they are considered unfinished, thus Kasumi Goto and Zaeed Massani will not make an appearances. Minor characters such as Conrad Verner and Jenna do not appear at all. Captain Kirrahe is considered dead.

Resolving squadmate conflicts assumes: Tali'Zorah was not exiled, Shepard destroyed the geth heretics, Maelon and his research data was destroyed, Morinth was killed.