"Mass Effect 3" might have a relatively complicated reputation that stems from its original 2012 release. However, a lot of gamers (especially avid fans of the "Mass Effect" series) remember it quite fondly, especially with this year's release of the "Mass Effect" Legendary Edition.  

A lot of you might already be done with "Mass Effect" 1 and 2 and are about to experience (or currently experiencing) the third game right now. And if you want to get the best ending (where Commander Shepard lives), this is your guide to achieving just that. 

But first: SPOILER WARNING, for those who still haven't finished the first two games of the trilogy. Turn back now. 

Now that that's out of the way, here is how to get the best ending in "Mass Effect 3": all the critical decisions, side missions, and everything else you need to do. 

'Mass Effect 3': The Most Important Key to a Good Ending 

The one critical thing to getting the best ending in ME3 is the War Assets mechanic. If you get enough war assets before your final battle against the Reapers, Commander Shepard lives, and the trilogy ends on a happier note.

War assets can be anything you gather or anyone you recruit throughout the main campaign, including the ones you get from playing through the first two games of the trilogy. This includes armies, weapons, technologies, and allies. It's also the main reason why it is extremely recommended that you play through all three games because starting off directly from ME3 will not get you enough assets to get a good ending. Unless, of course, you do   

Another thing that's critically tied to your war assets is Total Military Strength (TMS), as stated by GamesRadar. To get the best ending, your TMS level must be at 100%. In the original, non-Legendary Edition version of ME3, the only way to get your TMS to 100% is by playing the multiplayer, because the default TMS always stands at 50%. 

In "Mass Effect Legendary Edition," all you have to do is collect as many war assets as you can, because the multiplayer requirement has finally been removed. To get the good ending, your main goal is to get 7800 total war assets or more. 

Read also: Mass Effect Legendary Edition and The Importance of the Game Modding Community

Four Endings, But ONE Path Matters 

"Mass Effect 3" has a total of four endings: Destroy, Synthesis, Control, and the so-called "secret ending" called Refuse (a topic for another time). But out of the four, you absolutely HAVE to choose to DESTROY if you want Commander Shepard to live, as per RepublicWorld. 

When Shepard finally gets to the Citadel after the Catalyst is docked, you will be presented with three major paths. Go up the path to the RIGHT to choose the Destroy ending, where you will be prompted to shoot a certain pillar. Shoot it until it explodes. Provided that you have 7800 War Assets or more, Commander Shepard will survive the blast, along with the entire Normandy crew. 

Choices that Matter from Previous Games 

While it's not really required that you play through "Mass Effect" 1 and 2 to get the good ending in "Mass Effect 3," it helps because you can get a lot of extra War Assets from certain decisions you make in the first two games of the trilogy. 

Here are some choices that can net you more assets in time for the third game:

'Mass Effect 1'

Saving the Citadel Council will give you their most powerful flagship, the Destiny Ascension, as well as ensure that the Citadel Fleet will have more ships for the final battle. However, this will come at the cost of a weakened Systems Alliance fleet, so the decision is up to you. 

'Mass Effect 2' 

Manage to do everything needed to ensure that Tali and Legion survive the game's final mission. You will be able to keep both the Quarians and the Geth alive (provided you also meet a lot of requirements spanning ME2 and ME3). Having two races instead of one will give you a better chance against the Reapers due to the combined War Assets of both. 

Another thing that would help maximize War Assets is making sure that every squad member survives the Suicide Mission, which you can achieve by securing critical ship upgrades and assigning the right roles according to individual squadmate abilities. 

Go forth and save the galaxy! 

Related: Mass Effect 3's Multiplayer Might Return, Says Bioware; But Can it Still Make the Series Relevant?

This article is owned by Tech Times 

Written by RJ Pierce