When Shepard scans near a planet that contains an asset or other item in Mass Effect 3, they can navigate the Normandy to the planet. Related: Mass Effect 3's Final Battle & Ending Have Been Changed In Legendary Edition In Mass Effect 3, this mini-game received a facelift, and players only need to scan near the vicinity of various planets to find War Assets and fetch-quest items that add to Galactic Readiness. With so many systems and planets in the galaxy, this could become tedious, and players spend much of their time scanning individual planets, stopping to refuel, and launching probes. Players may also find anomalies that open side missions in Mass Effect 2, allowing for more XP gain, rewards, and lore. In Mass Effect 2, players scan each individual planet and launch probes to recover rare minerals that can be used to upgrade the Normandy and weapons and armor across the entire squad. Scanning planets for resources, anomalies, and other important items is an essential part of the final two games in the Mass Effecttrilogy, but the mechanics change slightly between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.
