The Mass Effect series is one of the most beloved sci-fi game series in the world. And with the release of the remastered Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, fans of the old games and newcomers alike are once again experiencing what placed Commander Shepard and his crew among the most legendary characters in video game history.
In Mass Effect 2: Legendary Edition, players will once again be tasked with defeating The Collectors. While the goal is straightforward, players have to make many decisions and choices throughout their journey. And if players make the wrong decision, it can cost them the best ending to the game.
Updated January 11, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan: Mass Effect 2: Legendary Edition is a love letter to the fans of the franchise that remaster the original game, and brings it up to modern standards. Players will find updated character models, better textures, and upgraded visuals. However, the quintessential experience remains the same, as players find themselves once more in the shoes of Commander Shepard. With hundreds of choices to make throughout the game, it is easy to make the wrong decisions, especially one that may cost players the best ending. However, it is equally as easy to achieve the best ending by avoiding certain decisions.
10 Not Upgrading The Normandy SR-2
In Mass Effect 2, players are given the all-new and improved Normandy SR-2, built by Cerberus. The new ship is bigger and has several upgrades made to the original design. However, to face the Collectors, further upgrades need to be made.
If players choose not to make these upgrades to the ship, the Normandy sustains heavy damage during its encounter with the Collectors near the end. This also results in the death of multiple crew and squad members in addition to the damage to the Normandy SR-2.
What Upgrades Are Needed?
During the course of the game, players will be able to upgrade the Normandy SR-2 with improved weapons, armors, and shields. These are available after players reach certain milestones in the game. Afterward, players will be able to install them on the ship via the upgrades terminal in the tech labs.
- Advanced Mineral Scanner: Available when Miranda is recruited, and requires 15,000 Iridium to upgrade.
- Heavy Ship Armor: Available as soon as Jacob is recruited, and requires 15,000 Palladium to install.
- Med-Bay Upgrade: Available after recruiting Mordin, and requires 50,000 Platinum to acquire.
- Modular Probe Bay: Available after Thane is recruited, and requires 15,000 Iridium to upgrade.
- Thanix Cannon: Available once Garrus is recruited, and requires 15,000 Platinum to install.
- Extended Fuel Cells: Available once Samara or Morinth is recruited, and requires 3,000 Element Zero to acquire.
- Multicore Shielding: Available after recruiting Tali, and requires 15,000 Palladium to upgrade.
To survive the suicide mission, players will need three crucial upgrades from the list; Heavy Ship Armor, Multicore Shielding, and the Thanix Cannon. However, acquiring other upgrades will make the player's journeys a lot easier.
9 Destroying Maelon's Data
During Mordin's Loyalty Mission, players are faced with the choice of either saving Maelon's data on the genophage or destroying it. If players choose to destroy the data, it will not have any immediate effects. However, it will affect the main quest in Mass Effect 3.
Without the data, Mordin will not be able to synthesize an effective cure for the genophage. Eve dies, and the Krogan will not be cured. In this way, players will be short of the required War Assets for achieving the best ending in Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition.
8 Not Exploring & Mining Planets
Mass Effect 2 emphasizes exploring and mining planets to acquire resources necessary for numerous upgrades. Not only can players upgrade their personal equipment, but also improve the Normandy SR-2 as well. If players choose not to do so, then they will not be able to make these upgrades.
This makes the overall gameplay harder, as players will have to fight with weak weapons. Moreover, a fully upgraded Normandy is required to survive its encounter with the Collector ship during the Suicide Mission. Otherwise, the ship will be heavily damaged during the encounter and a few crew members will die as well.
7 Ignoring Loyalty Missions
The survival of Shepard's crew during the Suicide Mission relies on whether their loyalty missions were completed or not. To ensure the survivability of the crew, players must complete loyalty missions of all crew members. These are special missions that are important for the crew to complete.
Once done, the squad member becomes loyal, ensuring their survival. If players do not complete the loyalty missions, then the crew member dies during the Suicide Mission. The death of even one crew member costs players the best ending to the game.
Suicide Mission Squadmate Choices
In addition to making sure that Shepard’s squadmates are loyal, certain choices need to be made during the Suicide Mission to ensure their survival. If the wrong person is chosen for the job, squadmates can still die regardless of their loyalty status.
- Tech Specialist for vents: Kasumi, Legion, or Tali. They are the best candidates for the job as they are all tech builds.
- Escort for Normandy Crew: Mordin. Any squadmate can get the job done, but Mordin stands most at risk during the mission. It is better to send him away with the crew. Sending the crew without an escort will get them killed.
- Second Fire Team Leader: Garrus, Jacob, or Miranda. All three are formidable fighters that can hold their own. They can effectively lead the second fire team through waves of Collector enemies.
- Biotic Specialist: Jack or Samara. Both are the strongest biotic characters in the list of squadmates and can effectively keep a barrier up for the required duration.
- Second Squad Leader Selection: Garrus, Jacob, or Miranda. For the reasons stated above, these characters can effectively lead a second team through the assault. Players can repeat their previous choice if they so choose.
- Final Battle Selection: Players can choose anyone for this phase. However, certain squadmates need to remain behind for everyone to come out of the ordeal unscathed. Zaeed, Garrus, and Grunt need to remain behind as they are the strongest fighters, after Shepard themselves of course.
If the players make these choices, in addition to making sure everyone from the crew is loyal, then all squadmates survive with the only casualties being the Collectors themselves.
6 Choosing Morinth
During Samara's loyalty mission, players must choose either Samara or Morinth as their crewmate. Morinth is a dangerous Ardat-Yakshi, who kills her victims in cold blood. If players choose Morinth over Samara, she will join Shepard's crew and go with him beyond the Omega-4 Relay, but Samara dies.
Morinth will survive the events of Mass Effect 2, but will be corrupted into a Banshee by the Reapers. Samara also yields some War Assets in Mass Effect 3 which players miss out on in the event of her death. Moreover, romancing Morinth during Mass Effect 2 results in instant death for Shepard.
5 Not Waking Up Grunt
Grunt is genetically engineered Krogan, created by warlord Okeer on the planet Korlus. Although a little unpredictable, Grunt brings unsurpassed physical strength and fighting prowess to the table. When players pick him up, Grunt lies dormant in a tank and must be activated for him to join the crew. He is vital for surviving the Suicide Mission beyond the Omega-4 relay.
Players will need to split their crew into two at a certain point during the mission; they'll lead one squad to assault the base core while the other stays behind. If Grunt is not activated and not appointed to the latter squad, one or more crew members will die in the assault by the Collectors.
4 Not Making Peace Between Miranda & Jack
After completing both of their loyalty missions, Miranda and Jack get into a heated argument in the former's office. Players will need to make a choice that relies on a high Paragon score. If players do not have the required amount of Paragon points, they will be unable to make peace between Miranda and Jack.
Depending on whom they choose to support, the other character will then be angry at Shepard and will no longer be loyal. Players can then increase their Paragon points and re-approach the disloyal teammate and attempt to make peace. In the event that they don't, the teammate remains disloyal and will not survive the Suicide Mission.
3 Not Making Peace Between Tali & Legion
When players complete both of Tali's and Legion's loyalty missions, they will be notified of a fight that has broken out between Tali and Legion. Players can then attempt to intervene and make peace between the two crewmates. However, as with Miranda and Jack, this requires a high Paragon score.
If players do not have the required Paragon points, they will not be able to get both Tali and Legion to back down. They will have to choose between them, and the remaining crew member loses their loyalty status. Players can still make peace and regain their crewmate's loyalty by talking to them with enough Paragon points. But if they don't, that squad member will die during the Suicide Mission.
2 Delaying Rescuing The Crew
When the Normandy SR-2 crew gets abducted in the Reaper attack, players have a time limit in which to rescue them with no losses. To save everyone on the crew, players need to travel beyond the Omega-4 Relay immediately, without going on any other missions.
However, if players delay mounting a rescue for the crew, they will lose them. If players travel through the relay after 1 to 3 missions, half of the crew will die. If they delay it further by completing up to 4 missions, then all the crew except for Doctor Chakwas dies.
1 Preserving The Collector Base
When players arrive deep in the Collector base, they find the Collectors using human essence to construct a Human-Reaper. The Reaper will be in a larva form in its current state, and players battle it as the game's final boss.
Once it's destroyed, players are faced with the choice of either preserving the Collector base for Cerberus or destroying it. The decision will not have immediate effects; however, keeping the Collector base allows Cerberus to harness its technologies and become stronger in Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition was released on May 14th, 2021, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.