Among the most important elements to any space travel story is the ship. The Mass Effect trilogy definitely has that covered with the Normandy. Commander Shepard's trusty vessel not only ferries the crew across the galaxy, but is also a crucial combatant in the cataclysmic war with the Reapers. Sadly, the opening minutes of Mass Effect 2 sees the Normandy destroyed by a race of Reaper servants known as the Collectors.
Players can visit the crash site to lament past defeats, but they eventually must move forward. That's why the pro-human group Cerberus gives Shepard a brand-new Normandy to thwart the Collectors. To accomplish this goal, the game gives players several upgrades to beef up this fresh ship. A wise commander would do well to purchase these improvements, as the heroes will need them for their final battle.
7 Med-Bay Upgrade
By far the least essential of the Normandy improvements, the Med-Bay Upgrade nevertheless costs 50,000 Platinum units. For that hefty price, players might expect it to increase their Medi-Gel capacity at the very least. Unbelievably, that's not the case.
Instead, the only function it serves is to heal Shepard's face. After their resurrection and reconstruction, the galaxy's greatest hero has some facial scarring. If players continue to make Renegade choices, then these scars become more prominent and eventually emit a Tron-esque glow.
The Med-Bay Upgrade provides the option to heal those scars regardless of moral alignment. Considering many players probably pursue the Renegade path for a different experience, this tweak is virtually pointless. Rather than forestall the inevitable "Game Over" screen, it's a purely aesthetic fix.
6 Modular Probe Bay
There's no biting need to get this upgrade anytime soon. Though the price is standard for ship upgrades, standing at 15,000 Iridium units, the benefits aren't worth the effort. The Modular Probe Bay simply doubles the number of probes available for gathering minerals. This would be a big help if probe shortage were a problem, but that's not the case.
The Normandy already starts with 30 probes. Players will use an average of two or three of these per planet, so it takes a long while to run out. In addition, Fuel Depots are always readily available on the off chance that Shepard runs out of probes. Those thinking even more outside the box can always resort to mods. With these obvious workarounds, gamers shouldn't make this upgrade a high priority.
5 Extended Fuel Cells
This perk may demand a bit too much for its relatively meager reward. Priced at 3,000 Element Zero units, which is already one of the rarer materials in the game, the Extended Fuel Cells double the amount of time the Normandy can go without refueling. However, this somewhat falls apart after considering a couple things.
First, players don't use fuel when going from planet to planet; it only depletes when traveling between solar systems or clusters. Even then, the Normandy easily has enough to get to one of these systems and back. Afterwards, Shepard can simply return to the Fuel Depot by the Mass Relay and get more gas. Because of such easy fixes, upgrading the ship's fuel capacity can wait until after the more essential improvements.
4 Multicore Shielding
The first of the upgrades for the Suicide Mission, the Multicore Shielding directly addresses the problem that sunk the original Normandy. Namely, it protects the ship against the type of energy blasts that destroyed its predecessor.
Suffice it to say, the Collectors will use similar attacks during the final battle. On top of that, Joker will have to fly through a debris field near the Omega 4 relay. The stronger kinetic barriers will help repel this space junk and keep the ship flying toward the Collector base. With these two invaluable uses, the 15,000 Palladium units used to upgrade the Normandy's shielding seems like a bargain.
3 Heavy Ship Armor
As in most spacefaring franchises, a good ship needs not only shields, but also a strong hull. The Heavy Ship Armor serves as another line of defense against the Collector bombardments. Standing at 15,000 Palladium units like its predecessor, the Heavy Ship Armor holds the Normandy together if the attackers break through the multicore barrier.
Once again, crewmembers will note this advantage during the chaotic battle. As enemies swarm the ship, Miranda nervously hopes then new plating holds. Thankfully, it does. That's one more leg up in the Suicide Mission.
2 Thanix Cannon
The final upgrade for the Suicide Mission is an offensive one. It helps to have a killer arsenal when battling galactic threats, and the Thanix Cannon fires a piercing blast from underneath the Normandy. Spend a paltry 15,000 Platinum units, and players can easily break through the Collector vessel's armor.
Shepard and Joker appreciate this upgrade during the final attack run, exclaiming, "Time to show our new teeth!". With this weapon at their disposal, the heroes decimate their foes' ship while sustaining minimal damage to the Normandy. This further increases the chances of each crewmember making it back alive.
1 Advanced Mineral Scanner
Although it may not sound like much, the Advanced Mineral Scanner is the most valuable upgrade. The reason for that is simple yet subtly important: it paves the way for others.
This tool helps find rich mineral deposits more easily. While scanning, players can detect these resources without having to be as precise with the coordinates. In that way, it essentially functions like the improved Remote Hacking Device in the Batman: Arkham games. A smaller effort yields a greater result. Naturally, this cuts down on much of the mining time, helping players to easily recoup the 15,000-Iridium asking price.