MASS EFFECT GUIDE/WALKTHROUGH v1.34 Written by Eric Jewett, etjester@hotmail.com Last Modified: Saturday, June 21, 2008 This document Copyright 2007,2008 Eric Jewett. This guide may be viewed on the internet for free, but may not be otherwise used, reproduced, sold, or distributed without my expressed written permission. Mass Effect is Copyright 2003-2008 by BioWare Corp. BioWare, the BioWare logo, Mass Effect, and the Mass Effect logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of EA International Ltd. Microsoft, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Xbox 360, and the Xbox 360 logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. EA and the EA logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Unauthorized copying, reproduction, rental, public performance or broadcast of these games is a violation of applicable laws. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can find this guide at: GameFAQs.com (v1.34) As well as: CheatCC.com (v1.34) GameRevolution.com (v1.12) GamesRadar.com (v1.20) IGN.com (v1.20) NeoSeeker.com (v1.34) SuperCheats.com (v1.34) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ================== TABLE OF CONTENTS ================== I. (1) INTRODUCTION (2) BACKGROUND (3) XBOX 360 CONTROLS (4) PC CONTROLS (5) CHARACTERS A. Commander Shepard B. Squad Members C. Normandy Crew D. Other Characters (6) GAME BASICS A. Character Creation B. Introduction to RPGs C. Conversations D. The Mission Computer E. Combat F. Advancing Levels G. The Galaxy Map H. Equipment I. Squad Management J. Exploring Uncharted Worlds K. Using the Mako (7) DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT A. Bring Down the Sky II. (1) WALKTHROUGH A. Primary Mission B. Optional Assignments C. Complete Codex III.(1) EQUIPMENT AND UPGRADES A. Manufacturers B. Hidden Manufacturers C. Weapons D. Armor E. Other Equipment F. Upgrades (2) COMBAT STRATEGIES A. General Strategies B. Sub-Boss Strategies C. Boss Strategies (3) GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (4) SECRETS A. Romances and Squad Conversations B. Achievement Bonuses C. Walkthrough Conclusion IV. (1) CREDITS (2) CONTACT ME (3) REVISIONS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SECTION I ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ============= Introduction ============= Mass Effect is the first in a trilogy of games created by BioWare, award- winning developer of such RPGs as Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur's Gate. It takes place in the year 2183, as humanity begins to take its first steps on the galactic stage, interacting with new alien races and settling uncharted worlds. You play as Commander Shepard, a promising young officer in the Systems Alliance Navy who has just been assigned to the SSV Normandy-- the most advanced starship humans have ever created. Mass Effect was released for the Xbox 360 in North America on November 20, 2007, and for the PC on May 28, 2008. The game is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB for blood, language, partial nudity, sexual themes, and violence. =========== Background =========== In 2148 AD, humanity discovered a small cache of highly advanced alien technology buried deep beneath the surface of Mars. The creators of this technology--known as the Protheans--went extinct nearly 50,000 years ago, leaving little evidence of their existence behind. The discovery of this technology led humans to develop faster-than-light travel, allowing rapid expansion throughout the Solar System. Within a year humanity uncovered another piece of Prothean technology, a dormant mass relay that had been encased in ice near Pluto. Once activated, this relay allowed instantaneous travel across thousands of light years to other mass relays in different parts of the galaxy. Humanity immediately began using this technology to colonize far-off star systems. In 2157, humanity made first contact with an alien species known as the turians. This resulted in a conflict known as the First Contact War, as the next several months saw skirmishes between the turians and Earth's Systems Alliance fleets. This conflict eventually drew the attention of the Citadel Council, a governing body that maintained peace and stability throughout much of the galaxy. They intervened in the conflict and brokered a peace agreement between humans and turians. Humanity continued to expand, and in 2165 it was granted an embassy on the Citadel, the political and economic heart of the civilized galactic community. The year is now 2183, and the SSV Normandy--the most advanced starship ever created by the Alliance--is being put through its paces. Aboard is Commander Shepard, a talented young officer who will soon embark on a galaxy-spanning adventure with the fate of the known universe hanging in the balance... ================== Xbox 360 Controls ================== BASIC CONTROLS / COMBAT CONTROLS -------------------------------- A Button - Activate / Interact / Sprint or Mount (in combat) B Button - Holster Weapon X Button - Draw Weapon / Skip Dialogue Y Button - Draw Weapon / First Aid Left Trigger - Draw Weapon / Zoom Right Trigger - Draw Weapon / Fire Weapon Left Bumper - Draw Weapon / Hold to Select Weapon Right Bumper - Hold to Select Abilities Left Analog Stick - Move Character / Cursor / Back to Wall Right Analog Stick - Move Camera Left Analog Button - Toggle Crouch Right Analog Button - Increase Zoom (using sniper rifle) Start Button - Main Menu Back Button - Throw Grenade / Detonate Grenade MAKO CONTROLS ------------- A Button - Activate Jump Jets B Button - Exit Mako X Button - Return to Normandy Y Button - Repair Mako Left Trigger - Turret View Right Trigger - Fire Machine Gun Left Bumper - none Right Bumper - Fire Cannon Left Analog Stick - Move Mako Right Analog Stick - Move Camera / Aim Weapons Left Analog Button - none Right Analog Button - Increase Zoom while in Turret View Start Button - Main Menu Back Button - none SQUAD COMMANDS -------------- Direction: Up - Move to a location Direction: Down - Take cover Direction: Left - Rally on your position Direction: Right - Target an enemy ============ PC Controls ============ BASIC CONTROLS -------------- Interact - E,Enter Tactical HUD - Spacebar Map - M Equipment - I Squad - U Journal - J Codex - O Quick Save - F6 COMBAT CONTROLS --------------- Movement - W,A,S,D Storm - Shift Movement Speed - Z Crouch - Left Ctrl Fire - Left Mouse Button Zoom - Right Mouse Button Change Zoom Level - E Grenade - R First Aid - F Draw/Holster Weapon - Q Previous Weapon - [ Next Weapon - ] Pistol - F1 Shotgun - F2 Assault Rifle - F3 Sniper Rifle - F4 Toggle Quick Slots - V Quick Slot 1 - 1 Quick Slot 2 - 2 Quick Slot 3 - 3 Quick Slot 4 - 4 Quick Slot 5 - 5 Quick Slot 6 - 6 Quick Slot 7 - 7 Quick Slot 8 - 8 MAKO CONTROLS ------------- Cannon - Right Mouse Button Turret Zoom - Shift Thrusters - Spacebar Return to Normandy - N SQUAD COMMANDS -------------- Move - Up Button Rally - Down Button Attack - Left Button Hold Position - Right Button =========== Characters =========== COMMANDER SHEPARD ----------------- Commander Shepard is the main character in Mass Effect, and is directly controlled by the player. Shepard's actions, whether generous or ruthless will decide the fate of the galaxy. Shepard's background and pre-service history are decided by the player. At the beginning of the game, Shepard is the Executive Officer on the SSV Normandy, a prototype Alliance frigate. SQUAD MEMBERS ------------- ++++++++++++++++++++ Ashley Williams Gunnery Chief Williams is a soldier with the Alliance garrison on Eden Prime. She enlisted with the Marines straight out of high school, but despite an exemplary record she has been repeatedly passed over for a fleet assignment. Ashley is a Soldier, specializing in combat abilities. Level 60 Attributes (Autolevel) < - - - - - - - - - - - - > Pistols < x x x x > Shotguns < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Assault Rifles < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Sniper Rifles < x x x x x x x x > Combat Armor < x x x x x x x x x x x x > First Aid < x x x x x x x x x > Assault Training < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Fitness < x x x x x x x > Soldier < x x x x x x > < - - - - - - - - - - - - > ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Kaidan Alenko Lieutenant Alenko is a crewmember on the SSV Normandy. He has some technical skill, but is trained primarily in the use of biotics. He is equipped with L2 biotic implants, but experiences minimal side effects. Kaidan is a Sentinel, specializing in tech and biotic abilities. Level 60 Attributes (Autolevel) < - - - - - - - - - - - - > Throw < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Lift < x x x x x x x x x x > Barrier < x x x x x x x > Stasis < x x x x > Decryption < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Electronics < x x x x x x x x x x x x > First Aid < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Medicine < x x x x x x x > Sentinel < x x x x x x > < - - - - - - - - - - - - > ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Liara T'Soni Dr. T'Soni is an asari scientist who spends most of her time on archaeological digs in remote parts of the galaxy. She hopes to someday learn the truth about the Prothean extinction. Liara is similar to an Adept, specializing in biotic abilities. Level 60 Attributes (Autolevel) < - - - - - - - - - - - - > Throw < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Lift < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Warp < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Singularity < x x x x x x x x x x > Barrier < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Stasis < x x x x > First Aid < x x x x x x > Electronics < x x x x x x x x > Asari Scientist < x x x x x x > < - - - - - - - - - - - - > ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Urdnot Wrex Wrex is one of the galaxy's few remaining krogan battle masters, rare individuals who have mastered advanced biotic and combat abilities. He has spent much of his recent history as a bodyguard, hired mercenary, or bounty hunter. Wrex is similar to a Vanguard, specializing in combat and biotic abilities. Level 60 Attributes (Autolevel) < - - - - - - - - - - - - > Assault Rifles < x x x x x x x x > Shotguns < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Combat Armor < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Fitness < x x x x x x x x > Warp < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Throw < x x x x x x x x x x x > Barrier < x x x x x x x > Stasis < x x x x x x > Krogan Battlemaster < x x x x x x > < - - - - - - - - - - - - > ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Garrus Vakarian Garrus is a turian Citadel Security officer. He is unhappy with his job because he feels it is too restrictive about what he is allowed to do in order to apprehend suspected criminals. Garrus is similar to an Infiltrator, specializing in combat and tech abilities. Level 60 Attributes (Autolevel) < - - - - - - - - - - - - > Assault Rifles < x x x x x x x > Sniper Rifles < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Tactical Armor < x x x x x x x x x > Assault Training < x x x x x x > Decryption < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Damping < x x x x x x x x x x x x > First Aid < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Electronics < x x x x x x > Turian Agent < x x x x x x > < - - - - - - - - - - - - > ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Tali'Zorah nar Rayya Tali is a quarian machinist, currently on a pilgrimage in search of something useful to bring back to her people. Tali is similar to an Engineer, specializing in tech abilities. Level 60 Attributes (Autolevel) < - - - - - - - - - - - - > Pistols < x x x x x x > Shotguns < x x x x x x x x > Basic Armor < x x x x x x x x x x > First Aid < x x x x x x x x x > Electronics < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Damping < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Decryption < x x x x x x x > Hacking < x x x x x x x x x x x x > Quarian Machinist < x x x x x x > < - - - - - - - - - - - - > ++++++++++++++++++++ NORMANDY CREW ------------- ++++++++++++++++++++ Anderson Captain David Anderson is the first Commanding Officer of the Normandy. He has served the Alliance with distinction for many years, and was the first human to be considered for Spectre training. However, the Spectre he was assigned to work with despised humans and ensured that the Citadel Council rejected Anderson's candidacy. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Pressly Navigator Pressly is an officer on the Normandy, serving as the ship's Navigator. Before being selected by Captain Anderson to serve on the Normandy, Pressly distinguished himself in the battle for Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Adams Chief Engineer Adams is an experienced officer who can be found near the drive core of the Normandy. He served on virtually every class of ship in the Alliance Navy before being selected for service on the Normandy. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Chakwas Doctor Chakwas is the only medical professional on the Normandy. She joined the Alliance straight out of medical school in search of "exotic adventure." Even though her career failed to be as romantic as she initially hoped, she remains a loyal member of the Alliance out of a sense of responsibility to the soldiers that depend on her care. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Joker Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau serves as the helmsman for the Normandy, and claims to be the best pilot in the entire Alliance Navy. Despite suffering from a debilitating bone disease he managed to finish at the top of his class in flight school, winning enough recognition to be selected for the Normandy's crew. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Jenkins Corporal Richard Jenkins is a Marine under the command of Captain Anderson who serves on the Normandy's ground team. He was born on the colony of Eden Prime, but found it too "calm and quiet," so he joined the Alliance to seek adventure. ++++++++++++++++++++ OTHER CHARACTERS ---------------- ++++++++++++++++++++ Udina Ambassador Donnel Udina is Earth's ambassador to the Citadel. He interacts directly with the Citadel Council and relays to the Council members the issues and concerns of the Alliance and its citizens. Udina's top priority is to improve humanity's standing with the other Citadel species. He hopes one day to have a human seat on the Council, and to that end he has worked to get humans into Citadel Security. He also hopes to get a human enlisted into the ranks of the Spectres. ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ Hackett Admiral Steven Hackett is the supreme commander of the Alliance military, and is the commanding officer of the Fifth Fleet. He has a hand in all the affairs of the military, and is responsible for maintaining peace and stability in systems occupied by the Alliance. ++++++++++++++++++++ ============ Game Basics ============ CHARACTER CREATION ------------------ When you start a new game, you can begin with the default version of Commander Shepard, or you can create your own. Creating a custom character allows you to customize your version of Commander Shepard in a number of ways, as detailed below. First, you select the gender of your character. Shepard can be male or female. Next you can give a first name to your character. The default male name is "John," and the default female name is "Jane." For the purposes of in-game dialogue and continuity, the last name cannot be changed. The next step when creating a character is to select your pre-service history. This indicates your character's background before joining the Alliance military. This choice affects how characters view you in the game. Three choices are available: Spacer: "Both of your parents were in the Alliance military. Your childhood was spent on ships and stations as they transferred from posting to posting, never staying in one location for more than a few years. Following in your parent's footsteps, you enlisted at the age of eighteen." Alignment Bonus: ++ Paragon Colonist: "You were born and raised on Mindoir, a small border colony in the Attican Traverse. When you were sixteen, slavers raided Mindoir, slaughtering your family and friends. You were saved by a passing Alliance patrol, and you enlisted with the military a few years later." Alignment Bonus: + Paragon + Renegade Earthborn: "As an Earthborn, you had a rough childhood in the slums of Earth, and have a gritty edge to your personality." Alignment Bonus: ++ Renegade Next you select your psychological profile, detailing what type of person you are and what will cause people to recognize you. Sole Survivor: "During your service, a mission you were on went horribly wrong. Trapped in an extreme survival situation, you had to overcome physical torments and psychological stresses that would have broken most people. You survived while all those around you fell, and now you alone are left to tell the tale." Alignment Bonus: + Paragon + Renegade War Hero: "Early in your military career you found yourself facing an overwhelming enemy force. You risked your own life to save your fellow soldiers and defeat the enemy despite the impossible odds. Your bravery and heroism have earned you medals and recognition from the Alliance fleet." Alignment Bonus: ++ Paragon Ruthless: "Throughout your military career, your have held fast to one basic rule: get the job done. You've been called cold, calculating, and brutal. Your reputation for ruthless efficiency makes your fellow soldiers wary of you. But when failure is not an option, the military always goes to you first." Alignment Bonus: ++ Renegade After creating a character profile, you must select your class from the six types available to you. Soldier: "The Soldier is a tough warrior, able to deal with a range of combat situations. The Soldier gets improved health, has the widest selection of weapons, and is eventually able to wear heavy armor. Gameplay focus is on getting into the thick of the fight, picking the right weapon for tactical situations, and outlasting opponents." Starting Talents: Assault Rifles Assault Training Combat Armor (Medium) Pistols Unlockable Talents: Combat Armor (Heavy) First Aid Fitness Shotguns Sniper Rifles Engineer: "The Engineer is a tech specialist, able to quickly and easily manipulate the environment with specific talents. Gameplay focus is on shaping the battlefield during combat, healing the party, and debuffing enemies (disabling weapons and lowering shields)." Starting Talents: Decryption Electronics First Aid Pistols Unlockable Talents: Basic Armor (Light) Damping Hacking Medicine Adept: "The Adept is the ultimate biotic, able to affect the physical world with the power of the mind. They can use biotics to violently manipulate objects in the environment, including nearby enemy targets. Gameplay focus is on disabling and debuffing enemies while dealing massive amounts of damage." Starting Talents: Barrier Basic Armor (Light) Throw Warp Unlockable Talents: Lift Pistols Singularity Stasis Infiltrator: "The Infiltrator is a tech-savvy warrior, able to win battles by quickly disabling and killing enemies. These soldiers focus on unlocking alternate routes, gaining access to good equipment, and obtaining an advantageous position over enemies in combat." Starting Talents: Decryption Electronics Pistols Tactical Armor (Light) Unlockable Talents: Damping First Aid Fitness Sniper Rifles Tactical Armor (Medium) Vanguard: "The Vanguard is a powerful combatant, able to combine the offensive powers of the Adept and the Soldier. They have access to various weapons and armor, as well as biotics. Gameplay focus is on taking down enemies with quick and brutal force. Starting Talents: Assault Training Pistols Throw Warp Unlockable Talents: Barrier Lift Shotguns Tactical Armor (Light/Medium) Sentinel: "The Sentinel is the most flexible class, able to combine tech and biotics to manipulate the environment, disable and track enemies, or defend the party. Gameplay focus is on protecting the party using kinetic barriers and healing it with advanced medical training." Starting Talents: Barrier Decryption First Aid Throw Unlockable Talents: Electronics Lift Medicine Stasis Finally you are ready to customize your character's appearance. You can choose to use the default versions of Commander Shepard, or you can adjust any aspect of your character's face to your liking. Use the sliders in each section to manipulate a range of facial details. When you are finished, select "Finalize" to begin the game. Note that once you have completed one playthrough of Mass Effect you can begin a new game by selecting an existing character. You will begin the new game with all the stats and equipment that your character had at the time the game was finished. Your preexisting Paragon and Renegade scores do not carry over however. If you have unlocked any weapons or powers through Xbox 360 achievements, you may select one as a bonus talent for your new character. INTRODUCTION TO RPGS -------------------- Mass Effect is an Action Role-Playing Video Game (or RPG), meaning you assume the role of a fictional character and control his or her actions in a way that affects the game and other characters. As your progress through the game you will earn "experience points" (or XP) for your actions. You gain these points by exploring, talking to characters, completing quests, and defeating enemies in combat. The accumulation of these points allows your character to "level up," thereby increasing certain characteristics such as health. In Mass Effect you are granted "talent points" after each level up, which go into upgrading and improving your character's ability with certain skills. Many of these components are explained in more detail later. CONVERSATIONS ------------- A large portion of Mass Effect involves conversations with other characters. This is done through the "conversation wheel" that appears at the bottom of the screen whenever your character has the opportunity to say something. All dialogue in the game is fully voiced, including that of Commander Shepard. Rather than choosing the exact words your character will say however, Mass Effect shows you several options on the wheel corresponding to general feelings, questions, or emotions. To select a dialogue choice, hold the left analog stick in the direction of the choice you wish to select, and then press the A button. You can also press the X button instead, which will begin your character's line immediately, stepping on the lines of any character who is speaking at the time. X is also used to skip dialogue if you wish to do so. On the PC use the mouse cursor to select dialogue options, and the Spacebar to skip dialogue. The wheel itself is divided into six quadrants. Choices on the wheel's left side usually give you more information about a given topic, while choices on the right tend to bring the conversation closer to its conclusion. Additionally, the top of the wheel tends to correspond to the Paragon path, where your character makes cooperative and unselfish decisions. The bottom of the wheel typically corresponds to the Renegade path, where your character makes decisions that are more selfish and impatient. This is not always the case, but it is a good general guide to framing your responses during a conversation if you wish to play as a certain type of character. Sometimes you will see the option on the middle left to "Investigate." This brings up more choices for topics of conversation, and the orientation of these choices often does not correspond to the Paragon / Renegade paths described above. If you have spent talent points in the "Charm" or "Intimidate" talents, you will sometimes also have the option to persuade characters to achieve a nonviolent outcome or to give you additional money, items, or information. These choices appear in the upper and lower left quadrants as blue and red dialogue choices respectively. If you lack sufficient skill in these areas, these choices will be grayed out, and you will not have the option of using them. THE MISSION COMPUTER -------------------- By pressing the Start Button (or Esc on the PC) you can enter the Mission Computer menu. You access each part of the menu in a similar way to selecting dialogue choices during a conversation. The Mission Computer allows you access to game details for: Codex: A small encyclopedia of the Mass Effect universe. As you play and gain new information the Codex will populate itself with new articles concerning the planets, civilizations, and technologies you come across. Equipment: View and change your currently equipped weapons, armor, items, and upgrades. Exit Game: Quits the game and returns to the desktop. (PC only) Journal: View your current missions and assignments. Missions are essential to the completion of the game. Assignments are optional, but typically grant experience points and other rewards. Load: Load previously saved games. Main Menu: Exit the game and return to the main menu. (PC only) Map: Shows a two dimensional overview of your current area. It indicates the position of your character as well as known points of interest, objectives, and other pieces of useful information. On the Xbox 360, you can use the left and right bumpers to zoom in and out for a better view. Options: Change your settings for gameplay, graphics, sound, and other options. Notably, you can change the gameplay difficulty, and toggle visual effects like film grain and motion blur. (Xbox 360 only) Save: Allows you to save your current progress through the game. You cannot save in certain situations, such as during combat and while riding in elevators. Settings: Change your settings for gameplay, graphics, sound, and other options. Notably, you can change the gameplay difficulty, and toggle visual effects like film grain and motion blur. (PC only) Squad: View and upgrade stats and abilities for you and your squad members. COMBAT ------ The combat in Mass Effect resembles a third-person shooter, but is actually powered by a complex RPG rules set operating beneath the surface. You can draw your weapon by pressing the X button (Q on the PC) or either of the triggers (mouse buttons on the PC), and can holster it by pressing the B button (Q on the PC). Drawing your weapon enters combat mode, showing a reticule on-screen to indicate where your weapon is aimed. It also displays the status of each squad member in the lower left corner of the screen. The red bar indicates the health of each squad member, while the blue boxes indicate the status of each character's shields. More boxes mean more shield strength, and empty boxes mean the shields are depleted. Radar is shown in the bottom right corner, and shows enemies as red dots. Some enemies can jam your radar, hiding their locations from you. However, certain weapon upgrades can be used to mitigate the ability of enemies to jam your radar. The right analog stick (or mouse on the PC) is used to aim the target reticule. Holding the left trigger (right mouse button on PC) zooms in for more precise aiming, increasing your character's accuracy. The reticule turns orange when it is placed over an enemy or any object that can be damaged or destroyed. Pulling the right trigger (left mouse button on PC) then fires your weapon. The chance of hitting an enemy and how much damage is dealt from your weapon are determined by your stats and equipment. Your chance of hitting an enemy is reduced by holding the trigger for a long period of time. Sustained fire will also overheat your weapon, meaning you must wait for it to cool down before using it again. On the Xbox 360 there are two combat wheels. The first is the "Weapons Wheel" which is accessed by holding down the left bumper. This allows you to select what weapon each member of your squad will use. All squad members carry a pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, and sniper rifle, but each will be far more effective with a certain weapon if they have trained in its use. The second wheel is the "Power Wheel," which is accessed by holding the right bumper. This allows you to access the special abilities of all squad members and use them accordingly by aiming using the right analog stick. A power can also be mapped to the right bumper by pressing the X button while using the wheel. On the PC these wheels are replaced by the Tactical HUD, which is accessed by holding down the Spacebar. This screen shows the abilities that are available to you and your squad members. You can use it to select which weapons and powers to use, and it also allows you to set your hotkeys for each ability by dragging them to the quick slots located in the upper left corner. Here they can be accessed by pressing the appropriate number key, 1 through 8. ADVANCING LEVELS ---------------- As mentioned previously, you gain experience points as you progress through the game. There is a single pool of experience for the entire squad, allowing all squad members to advance at a similar rate. By accumulating enough XP you will level up, granting access to new talent points which you can spend at the Squad screen in the Mission Computer. At the Squad screen you can automatically distribute talent points to the selected character, or you can spend them manually on each desired talent. Players earn talent points for each new level as follows: Level Shepard Points per Level Squad Points per Level 1-5 3 2 6-20 2 2 21-35 2 1 36-60 1 1 THE GALAXY MAP -------------- To travel around the galaxy using your advanced starship--the Normandy--you must access the galaxy map, located prominently in the center of the command deck. The first level of the galaxy map is the Galaxy Level, which shows all available star clusters and nebulae you can visit. By moving your cursor over a selected cluster you can see its name and view the relay path the Normandy would take to reach that part of the galaxy. New clusters and systems become available as you complete missions and learn more about the galaxy. After selecting a location, you zoom in to the Cluster Level, which shows all known star systems within that cluster. To explore a star system you must travel there by clicking on it and confirming that you wish to travel. When you have arrived at a new system you will see the System Level, which shows all the planets and celestial objects orbiting the star you have traveled to. All planets will have a blue ring showing their orbit. Other objects may be hidden and will require you to move your cursor over them to discover their presence. Many asteroid belts have interesting asteroids you can examine, and derelict starships and freighters can also be found in some systems. A hidden object can usually be identified by a small twinkle of light that appears on occasion. To find these objects, move your cursor over the object and press the appropriate button to scan it. By selecting a planet, moon, or other object you will zoom in to the Planetary Level. This shows you a view of the planet's surface along with a synopsis of important planetary features and information. Many planets are inhospitable to human life, but some can be surveyed for raw materials and interesting artifacts. Some can also be explored using the Mako. On the Xbox 360, press A to survey or land on a planet when given the option. EQUIPMENT --------- Collecting, using, and upgrading your equipment is important to your success and survival in Mass Effect. The first pieces of useful equipment are your weapons. Every squad member carries four basic weapon types, and Commander Shepard can also throw grenades which detonate automatically after ten seconds if not detonated remotely by pressing the grenade button again. Pistols: "Pistols are highly accurate, have little recoil, and are easy to use when moving. They are effective at a variety of ranges, but inflict limited damage." Trainable by: Soldier Engineer Adept Vanguard Infiltrator Shotguns: "Shotguns have a slow rate of fire and high recoil, but inflict massive damage to multiple targets when fired at close range." Trainable by: Soldier Vanguard Assault Rifles: "Assault rifles are the standard armament of most Soldiers, offering a good balance between firepower, range, and accuracy." Trainable by: Soldier Sniper Rifles: "Sniper rifles have long range, are highly accurate, and inflict significant damage. They have a limited rate of fire, however, and are practically useless at close range. Trainable by: Soldier Infiltrator Grenades: "Disk-shaped Alliance grenades can glide long distances and also latch onto targets or flat surfaces to be remotely detonated. Only you, as Commander Shepard, can use grenades." The next major component is armor, which protects the wearer from injury. Each species uses a different set of armor because of inherent differences in physiology. The one exception is the asari, who can wear human armor. Light Armor: "Light armor offers a basic level of protection from enemy attacks and minimizes the movement penalties that affect weapon accuracy." Wearable by: Soldier Engineer Adept Vanguard Infiltrator Sentinel Medium Armor: "Medium armor offers an increased level of protection, but also increases the movement penalties that affect weapon accuracy." Wearable by: Soldier Vanguard (requires training) Infiltrator (requires training) Heavy Armor: "Heavy armor offers the highest level of protection from enemy fire, but also has the highest movement penalties affecting weapon accuracy." Wearable by: Soldier (requires training) All weapons and armors can be upgrades to enhance their properties. Upgrades can increase damage, improve shields, and more. To upgrade equipment, access the Equipment screen through the Mission Computer. Equip the item you wish to use and press the X button to view the Upgrade screen on the Xbox 360, or click the appropriate upgrade slot on the PC. Select the desired upgrades and then confirm the upgrade selection. To modify tech and biotic abilities, special equipment is used: Bio-amps: "Biotics can strengthen their power in specific disciplines by using amps (amplifiers). These specially designed devices often come in the form of small electronic attachments that are worn on a biotic's ear or the back of their head." Omni-tools: "Omni-tools are multipurpose diagnostic and minifacturing tools used for a variety of battlefield tasks, such as hacking, decryption, or repair. They are equipped by Engineers, Sentinels, and Infiltrators to make use of their tech talents." New equipment can be acquired in a number of ways. As you progress in the game and defeat enemies you gain XP, money, and items. These new items are automatically placed in your inventory. You can also purchase items from stores or take them from containers you find throughout the game. Stores allow you to buy upgrades in the form of increased grenade or medi-gel capacity. Medi-gel is a universal healing substance that restores the health of all squad members when used. Press the Y button (F on the PC) during combat to use medi-gel on your squad. There is an inventory limit of 150 items, so it is important to keep your inventory as empty as is reasonable. Any weapons, armors, or upgrades you or your squad aren't using can be sold for extra money or turned into omni-gel. Omni-gel is useful for opening locked containers and decrypting certain electronic devices. SQUAD MANAGEMENT ---------------- Selecting the Squad screen from the Mission Computer menu gives a variety of information about your character and the other characters in your squad, including name, class, appearance, level, and use of talent points. The Squad screen can be accessed directly on the PC by pressing the U key. Whenever you gain enough experience to gain a new level, all characters are granted talent points that can be spent to upgrade certain abilities or to unlock new ones. Assigning points to a given talent lets you improve combat, tech, and biotic abilities, as well as unlock and improve special abilities for each talent. Commander Shepard also has Paragon and Renegade meters shown on this screen. These meters track your choices made throughout the game. Generous choices result in Paragon points, ruthless choices result in Renegade points. Either path is acceptable, as you gain bonuses for filling either meter. Paragon: The Paragon scale is colored blue and impacts the Charm ability. 05% Bonus: Opens two Charm slots Gives one Charm point 25% Bonus: Opens two Charm slots Gives one Charm point 10% bonus to First Aid cooldown 50% Bonus: 10% bonus to health 75% Bonus: Unlocks Achievement Opens two Charm slots Gives one Charm point 5% bonus to all talent cooldowns Renegade: The Renegade scale is colored red and impacts the Intimidate ability. 05% Bonus: Opens two Intimidate slots Gives one Intimidate point 25% Bonus: Opens two Intimidate slots Gives one Intimidate point 10% bonus to First Aid cooldown 50% Bonus: Regenerate +1 health per second 75% Bonus: Unlocks Achievement Opens two Intimidate slots Gives one Intimidate point 5% damage/duration bonus on all weapons/powers EXPLORING UNCHARTED WORLDS -------------------------- When you have control of the Normandy, you can use it to travel to many uncharted worlds with mysterious anomalies. To discover the nature of these anomalies, you must explore these planets using the Mako. When you land on a planet, you should first check your Map. This often reveals the locations of many known points of interest. Anomalies--marked with a question mark--usually indicate something interesting to explore. Furthermore, there are several deposits of rare materials that can be surveyed on a planet's surface once you discover them. When you are done exploring a planet, simply press the X button while in the Mako (or from the Map screen) to return to the Normandy. This is done on the PC by pressing the N key. USING THE MAKO -------------- The Normandy comes with the M35 Mako, an infantry fighting vehicle that can be used to cover long distances quickly and to provide cover and direct fire support. You can use the A button (E on the PC) to enter the Mako, and the B button (Q on the PC) to exit it. The Mako is equipped with a 155mm machine gun for dealing with infantry, as well as a cannon for destroying more heavily armored opposition. It also comes with jump jets that can be activated using the A button (Spacebar on the PC), which allow the operator to deftly jump over incoming enemy rockets. If the Mako becomes damaged from enemy fire, press the Y button (F on the PC) to repair it. Doing so uses 15 omni-gel and requires the Mako to be stationary. ===================== Downloadable Content ===================== BRING DOWN THE SKY ------------------ Released via Xbox Live on March 10, 2008, "Bring Down the Sky" is the first piece of downloadable content for Mass Effect. It features a new uncharted world to explore, and introduces a new alien race, the Batarians. "Bring Down the Sky" on the Xbox 360 costs 400 Microsoft Points and is estimated to consist of roughly 90 minutes of gameplay. "Bring Down the Sky" is free for users of the PC version of the game. Description from the Mass Effect website: "A Batarian extremist group has hijacked an asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent." To access the "Bring Down the Sky" module, you must have control of the Normandy. A marker will appear on the Galaxy Map directing you to the "X57 Asteroid" in the Exodus Cluster. Simply land on the asteroid to begin the assignment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SECTION II ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ============ Walkthrough ============ Please Note: This guide does not always provide the fastest possible path through the game. It is intended for those who want to enjoy the full experience that is Mass Effect, and includes many optional items that are not required to complete your adventure. The Walkthrough is broken into three sections. The first is the Primary Mission Walkthrough, detailing the main story in which Shepard must save the galaxy. This section includes some optional components, but these tasks will be designated as such and you may skip them at your discretion. The next section is the Optional Assignments section, detailing every side mission in Mass Effect. Assignments that deviate from the main path will be included in this section. Finally, the last section consists of a brief listing of all possible Codex entries and how to achieve them. PRIMARY MISSION WALKTHROUGH --------------------------- Your adventure begins on the command deck of the SSV Normandy, the most advanced System Alliance starship ever created. You are Commander Shepard, a promising officer in the Alliance Navy, who has been tasked with overseeing the ship as it is put through its paces... This section takes you through the primary mission. There are many steps involved, some of which are optional. SECTION 1: Prologue 1 - Shakedown Our story begins as you head to the front of the Normandy, where Joker--the ship's helmsman--has just finished a mass relay jump. The mass relays are relics of an ancient civilization known as the Protheans, and allow rapid travel throughout the galaxy. He relays his success to Nihlus Kryik, who is overseeing the operation. Nihlus is a turian Spectre, an elite operative charged with maintaining galactic stability at any cost. When Nihlus leaves, Joker tells Lt. Alenko about his distrust for Spectres, at which point you have an opportunity to voice an opinion. Your dialog choices can net you Paragon or Renegade points. Choices in the upper part of the dialogue wheel usually correspond with the Paragon alignment, while choices on the bottom of the wheel usually correspond to the Renegade alignment. Captain Anderson comes on the comm and asks you to report to the briefing room. +2 Paragon for agreeing with Joker +2 Renegade for chastising your crew New Mission: "Prologue: On the Normandy" 2 - Pressly (Optional) On your way back towards the briefing room you can overhear Navigator Pressly having a conversation with Chief Engineer Adams. Speaking with Pressly reveals his concerns about the mission. He feels that Nihlus and Anderson are hiding something from the crew. Pressly can also give you some information that will get you acquainted with the Normandy's unique stealth systems. 3 - Jenkins and Chakwas (Optional) Outside of the briefing room, Corporal Jenkins is having a conversation with Doctor Chakwas. You can talk to them to learn more about the Spectres, as well as Eden Prime, your destination for this mission. +2 Paragon for being supportive of Jenkins +2 Renegade for telling Jenkins the mission isn't about him 4 - Spectre Training Enter the briefing room and speak with Nihlus. He talks briefly about Eden Prime before Captain Anderson enters and reveals the true nature of the operation: A Prothean beacon was recently unearthed on Eden Prime and the Normandy is being sent in to recover it. The beacon likely contains a wealth of information on the Protheans--information that could lead to the development of numerous new technologies. It's crucial to get the beacon back to the Citadel--the seat of galactic government--so that it can't fall into the wrong hands. As it turns out, Nihlus will also be using this opportunity to evaluate you as a possible candidate for the Spectres. Before you reach Eden Prime however, Joker patches through a distress signal from the planet's surface, showing an attack by a massive spaceship of unknown design. Needless to say, this adds an urgency to the mission, as you must now find and secure the beacon while helping any survivors you find. "Prologue: On the Normandy" -> "Prologue: Find the Beacon" SECTION 2: Eden Prime 1 - Touchdown on Eden Prime When you arrive on the planet's surface you have Lt. Kaidan Alenko and Cpl. Richard Jenkins in your squad. Each of you has only basic equipment. Head into the bog to the north and turn east to find an upgrade kit. (Note that for Eden Prime the compass and map directions don't agree. Directions listed here will follow the map directions.) You can then use the nearby gas bags for target practice before moving on. 2 - The Geth Proceed west and follow the path over the hill. You are immediately attacked by a small group of geth recon drones and Jenkins is fatally wounded. The recon drones have weak weapons and shields, but are resistant to biotic attacks. When they are destroyed, check Jenkins' body to confirm his fate. Continue north up the hill. There are three drones at the top you must defeat, after which you can find another upgrade kit to the left of the path containing some grenades and omni-gel. Proceed northeast through the woods and destroy three more drones. Off to the left before you exit the woods you can find a medical kit to replenish your medi-gel. +2 Paragon for promising Jenkins a proper burial +2 Renegade for downplaying Jenkins' death 3 - Ashley Williams As you descend the hill you witness a soldier being chased by more drones. She turns to see another human impaled on a large spike by two geth troopers, which you must now help her defeat. Speak with the soldier after the attack. She can tell your more about the attack, and the enemy you're facing. Ashley Williams will now join your squad. There is an upgrade kit to your right, as well as a crate containing Scorpion I light armor you can use to replace your default armor, as it offers superior shields and tech/biotic protection. +4 Paragon for giving Ashley a warm welcome +4 Renegade for resisting Ashley's inclusion in the squad 4 - Investigate the Dig Site At the bottom of the hill there are four more troopers guarding the dig site. Geth troopers have the ability to erect shields to provide cover for themselves, but lack much other protection. They are extremely vulnerable when their shields are disabled. When you reach the dig site it is apparent that the beacon has been moved. Ashley suggests that you should check out the nearby research camp, which will now be marked on your map. Check the crate near the dig site, and then proceed up the hill to the north. 5 - The Camp As you reach the top of the hill you discover that the giant spikes are designed to turn humans into synthetic zombie-like creatures called husks. These enemies have no ranged weapons, so they will charge at you instead. When they get close enough they will unleash a powerful electric explosion designed to take down your shields. Keeping your distance should allow you to destroy them easily. Biotic powers are also extremely effective for immobilizing them, since they can take a good amount of punishment from your weapons. Don't miss the upgrade kit located behind the spikes. There are two temporary structures at the camp. The one on the left is unlocked and contains two crates, one of which provides you with some grenades and omni- gel. The structure on the right is locked, but can be opened with sufficient decryption skill. Two survivors, Dr. Warren and Dr. Manuel are hiding inside. Dr. Warren can tell you about the attack, and she informs you that the beacon has been relocated to the spaceport. If you ask about Manuel you have the option to shut him up for a while. +2 Paragon for being kind to the survivors +9 Renegade for striking Manuel ~~~~~~~~~~ DECRYPTION AND ELECTRONICS MINIGAME The decryption minigame can be performed to unlock certain containers or to recover certain valuables from downed spacecraft or satellites. Locked containers and doors can have three levels of difficulty (easy, average, and hard) and you will need a certain number of points in the corresponding skill in order to attempt to open each type of lock: 1 point is required for easy, 5 points for average, and 9 points for hard. Locks can also be opened by supplying the requisite amount of omni-gel, but only if you have sufficient skill. Opening a lock on the Xbox 360 involves pressing one of the face buttons (A, B, X, or Y) soon after it glows on-screen. The number of buttons that must be pressed depends (in theory) on the difficulty of the decryption. On the PC the minigame is different, and requires you to navigate a cursor on a circular wheel to reach the center. This is much like Frogger with several concentric circles you must traverse. Navigate past the orange blocks (which are stationary) and the red blocks (which move) to reach the center. You get to try again if you fail, but only if you have sufficient omni-gel. ~~~~~~~~~~ 6 - The Rogue Spectre Head up the hill to the north. Ahead at the train station, Nihlus turns a corner to see his friend Saren, a fellow Spectre. Off in the distance you hear a single gunshot. As you reach the crest of the hill, you see a massive spaceship taking off from the spaceport ahead. Take up defensive positions near the top of the hill and eliminate the husks and geth troopers below you. You can shoot the explosive containers on the steps to eliminate the geth quickly. After the fight you can find a malfunctioning object in an alcove to the northwest that will give you some grenades and omni-gel. 7 - The Farmers (Optional) A path to the east leads to another small temporary structure with a crate nearby. After unlocking the door (easy decryption), three farmers emerge. They talk about the ship, and inform you of a smuggling operation that's been going on at the colony. The farmers have been holding weapons and supplies for a smuggler at the spaceport. They offer you an extra pistol--the Stinger II, which is a good early pistol and the only one of its kind that can be found in the game--which they've been holding for the smuggler. If you have spent enough points in your Charm or Intimidate skills then you can get an extra upgrade item in addition to the pistol. If you do so, Ashley will demand to know the name of the smuggler, and you can persuade them to reveal his identity. Don't miss the storage locker (which has an easy electronics lock) inside the shed after the conversation concludes. +2 Paragon for using Charm twice +2 Renegade for using Charm, then Intimidate +2 Paragon for using Intimidate, then Charm +2 Renegade for using Intimidate, then Charm +4 Renegade for using Intimidate twice 8 - Powell the Smuggler Ascending the steps to the spaceport reveals Nihlus' fate. A noise from behind the nearby crates turns out to be Powell, the smuggler the farmers informed you about. He tells you about Saren's betrayal of Nihlus. If confronted about his smuggling operation he will offer you some grenades to resupply you. Using Charm or Intimidate you can get an additional grenade upgrade out of him. There is a medical kit nearby, and an upgrade kit in the fires behind the crates. +2 Paragon for being forgiving towards Powell +2 Renegade for Intimidating Powell 9 - Taking the Train Continue north and take out the three nearby geth troopers. You will need to board the train and fight your way to the other side to activate the controls that will take you to the spaceport. The train itself is defended primarily by geth troopers, but there are also a couple geth destroyers to worry about. Destroyers are huge versions of the troopers, and will typically charge at you when they get close enough. Keep your distance and concentrate on destroying them before moving forward. Biotic powers are particularly useful for disabling heavy geth soldiers like the destroyer, as immobilizing them keeps them from using their heavy weapons. There is a medical kit halfway up the train. Activate the train controls at the far end to proceed to the spaceport. Meanwhile, Saren orders the geth to place explosives around the port to destroy the colony and cover up any evidence of their presence. 10 - Defusing the Situation When you arrive at the spaceport your goal is to disarm all the demolition charges before time runs out. The first charge is to your immediate left after exiting the train. Simply press A (E on the PC) to defuse an explosive while your squad is covering you. Go up the ramp. The other charges show up on your radar, so you should have no trouble locating them. Cross the nearby bridge and work your way north as you defuse the explosives. You will need to worry about several geth troopers and geth shock troopers as you advance. Shock troopers are more heavily armed and armored than their trooper counterparts. They too can erect kinetic barriers, and they have a missile attack similar to the destroyers. If you're having trouble, consider leaving your team on the west side and heading back to the east side of the port to flank the geth. There is a crate to the far north on the west side of the bridge. 11 - Secure the Beacon Proceed west through the opening. Descend the ramp and finish off the last of the troopers and husks. There are two storage lockers to the south, a technician kit to the north, and a crate near the beacon itself. You can approach the railing to the west for a view of the devastation left by the ship you saw. Once you've secured the Prothean beacon you can radio the Normandy to come pick it up. If you are playing as a male, Ashley will inadvertently activate the beacon. As a female, Kaidan will activate the beacon. You are forced to intervene, and the beacon downloads a violent vision into your brain before it destroys itself. 12 - On Approach to the Citadel You wake up in the Normandy's medical bay. Dr. Chakwas and Captain Anderson will explain the situation. When the conversation concludes, head upstairs to the command deck and tell Joker to bring the Normandy into dock on the Citadel. Mission Complete: "Prologue: Find the Beacon" ~~~~~~~~~~ THE NORMANDY Now is a good opportunity to explore and familiarize yourself with the SSV Normandy and her crew, as you now have unrestricted access to all levels of the ship. You begin on the quarters deck. There is an aid station in the medical bay where you can replenish your supply of medi-gel. Outside is your locker, where supplies are frequently stored for you to pick up. Sleeping pods are towards the bow, and the Captain's office is on the port side. If you take the elevator down to the engineering level you can explore the engine room and the vehicle bay. You can use the equipment lockers in the vehicle bay to stock your squad members with weapons and items. You can also buy and sell your equipment with the alliance requisition officer. ~~~~~~~~~~ SECTION 3: The Citadel 1 - Arrival on the Presidium Your arrive on the Citadel with Captain Anderson to meet with Ambassador Donnel Udina. The ambassador is making a plea to the Citadel Council to have Saren disbarred from the Spectres for his involvement in the attack on Eden Prime. The next step is to head to the Citadel tower and make a formal appeal at the hearing regarding Citadel Security's findings in the case against Saren. +2 Renegade for saying you don't care about the Council New Mission: "Citadel: Expose Saren" ~~~~~~~~~~ THE PRESIDIUM You have arrived on the Presidium, one of two major areas--along with the Wards--that you can visit while on the Citadel. The Presidium is split down the middle by a large lake with a few bridges running across it. On the north side, from west to east, is the entrance to the Citadel tower, access to the Wards, and the embassies where you begin. On the south side are the financial district and the Consort's chambers. The Avina Tourism Terminals can give you more information about the Presidium, and there are signs posted to assist in navigation. There are also several rapid transit terminals located around the Citadel. Each can transfer you directly to another location, provided you have either heard of it, or been to that location previously. ~~~~~~~~~~ 2 - The Citadel Tower Leave the embassies and proceed west towards the Citadel tower. Take the elevator up to the top of the tower where the council chambers are located. As you move south you witness an exchange between Garrus Vakarian--the turian C-Sec (Citadel Security Services) officer in charge of the investigation into Saren--and Executor Pallin, the head of C-Sec. Proceed south and speak with Captain Anderson to join the hearing, which is already in progress. 3 - A Lack of Evidence The Council decides that there is insufficient proof of Saren's connection to the geth or Eden Prime to disbar him from the Spectres. In order to convince the Council otherwise you will need to find conclusive proof of Saren's involvement in the attack. Kaidan will suggest that you speak with Garrus Vakarian, the C-Sec officer you saw earlier. Udina says you might be able to find him through Harkin, a retired human C-Sec officer. If you ask Anderson about other sources of information he will suggest you try to contact the Shadow Broker, a galactic information dealer who may know something about Saren's activities. One of his contacts on the Citadel is Barla Von, a wealthy financial advisor in the Presidium's financial district. +2 Paragon for defending Anderson New Mission: "Citadel: Garrus" New Mission: "Citadel: Shadow Broker" 3 - Talk to Barla Von (Optional) If you choose to follow the lead concerning the Shadow Broker, you can find Barla Von's office in the southwest corner of the Presidium, just across the bridge from the Citadel tower. He informs you that Saren has recently betrayed the Shadow Broker, who is now more than willing to assist you in taking Saren down. Barla Von advises you to seek out a Krogan bounty hunter named Wrex who may be able to help you. Wrex was last seen at the C-Sec academy. "Citadel: Shadow Broker" -> "Citadel: Wrex" ~~~~~~~~~~ THE WARDS The next major area of the Citadel is the Wards, which are a level below the Presidium and can be accessed by elevator following your meeting with the Council. The Wards are home to clubs, gambling, markets, and some spectacular views of the Citadel's exterior and the Serpent Nebula. There are two levels to the Wards, unofficially designated upper and lower. There are markets on both levels to the west, with the popular clubs Flux and Chora's Den nearby. A medical clinic resides on the upper level to the east. The Wards and the Presidium both grant access via elevator to the C-Sec academy which in turn has an elevator that can take you to the docking bay where the Normandy is located. ~~~~~~~~~~ 4 - Talk to Harkin (Optional) If you follow the lead concerning Garrus, you can find Harkin at Chora's Den, a shady club near the back alleys in the Wards. Outside you are ambushed by some turian assassins working for Saren. On the higher difficulty levels these can be some of the toughest enemies you will face early in the game. Use the walkways for cover, keeping your squad in one place so you can flank the assassins. Biotics can also be useful for pushing them off the balcony. Once inside the club you can find Harkin sitting at a table on the opposite side from the entrance. He spouts some rumors about Captain Anderson before telling you that Garrus was last seen snooping around the med clinic in the Wards. 5 - Shootout in the Med Clinic (Optional) Continuing the search for Garrus, head to the med clinic, located to the east in the upper Wards. Inside you witness some thugs pressing the doctor for information. They see you and a fight breaks out. A well placed shot from Garrus ensures that the doctor is unharmed. Once the fight is over, speak to Garrus to find out what to do next. Dr. Michel informs you that a quarian had recently passed though her clinic carrying evidence of Saren's connection to the geth. She wanted to barter the information in return for her safety, so Dr. Michel put her in contact with Fist, the owner of Chora's Den and an employee of the Shadow Broker. Unfortunately, Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker and is now believed to be holding the quarian hostage for Saren. You need the quarian's information in order to implicate Saren, so it's off to Chora's den to take care of Fist. The med clinic has an aid station you can use to replenish your medi-gel before you leave. +2 Paragon for chastising Garrus for endangering the doctor +2 Renegade for complimenting Garrus on his accuracy Mission Complete: "Citadel: Garrus" 6 - Pick up Wrex (Optional) Head to the C-Sec academy--accessible through either the Presidium or the Wards--and head west. Near the stairs to the C-Sec offices, Wrex is having a confrontation with some officers. When their conversation is over you have the opportunity to offer Wrex a position on your squad. Bear in mind that Wrex has been hired by the Shadow Broker to kill Fist, and he intends to fulfill his contract. You are not required to invite Wrex to join your squad at any point if you already have Garrus in your squad. Similarly, if you picked up Wrex before going to get Garrus, he will tell you everything about the quarian, in which case you don't ever need to invite Garrus to join your squad. Mission Complete: "Citadel: Wrex" ~~~~~~~~~~ SQUAD SELECTION After picking up Garrus or Wrex you have your first opportunity to select your squad. You are only able to have two squad members with you at a time, so be sure to choose wisely. You can only change who is in your squad by returning to the Normandy or when a new character is added to your squad. Consider what you want from your squad and what opposition you expect to face while using a given squad configuration. For example, Kaidan provides a more balanced compliment to your squad, whereas Ashley maximizes the combat abilities of your squad. Characters with tech abilities are useful against synthetic foes like the geth, and also typically have the ability to unlock secured containers and doors. Biotic characters are good for disabling opponents and are useful when fighting large groups of enemies. ~~~~~~~~~~ 7 - Assault on Chora's Den Take your squad to Chora's Den. When you arrive the club is sealed up because Fist knows you are coming after him. In addition to the bartender there are seven thugs inside, so stick to cover by the doors and take out one enemy at a time. The big concern here is the krogan bouncer on the opposite side of the room, as he has the ability to regenerate health. After you defeat all the guards proceed into the back room for a confrontation with two warehouse workers. You can kill them, or use your Charm or Intimidate skill to get them to leave peacefully. There is a weapon locker beyond the workers on the left side of the room. +2 Paragon for sparing the warehouse workers using Charm +2 Renegade for sparing the warehouse workers using Intimidate 8 - Taking Care of Fist In the final room you will encounter Fist himself. The primary threats to you are the two defensive turrets in each corner. Garrus or Kaidan are useful here because of their tech skills, though Wrex evens the odds with his superior combat abilities. Concentrate on one turret at a time and don't stay outside of cover for too long. Biotics don't work on the turrets, so save these powers for Fist himself. Taking out both turrets is sufficient to get Fist to surrender. When Fist is finally defeated he will tell you where you can find the quarian. If Wrex is in your party he will kill Fist to fulfill his contract with the Shadow Broker. Otherwise you have the option to kill him yourself. There is a wall safe in the back corner of the room when you are finished. +2 Renegade if you kill Fist or condone Wrex's actions 9 - Rescue the Quarian The quarian is about to be set up by Fist's men. You have a limited time to reach her and get the information you need. As you exit Fist's offices you are confronted by six more thugs in the main lounge. Deal with them quickly and proceed back towards the Wards. Bear left when you exit and go through the back alleys to reach the quarian. If you arrive in time you will have to fight a group of turian and salarian assassins to rescue her. The salarians have some tech powers you need to worry about, so stick to cover as much as possible. When the fight is over you can take the quarian's evidence against Saren to Ambassador Udina. 10 - The Quarian's Evidence Back at the ambassador's office, the quarian--known as Tali'Zorah nar Rayya-- presents her evidence. She has a recording of Saren and an unknown woman incriminating themselves regarding the attack on Eden Prime. Now that you have irrefutable evidence it is time to present your case to the Citadel Council. Tali becomes a squad member and agrees to help you track down Saren. 11 - The Council's Decision Return to the Citadel tower and present your evidence to the Council. Faced with undeniable proof of Saren's involvement with the geth, the Council disbars Saren from the Spectres. The asari Councilor is able to identify the other voice from Tali's recording as that of Matriarch Benezia, an influential asari who is now a powerful ally for Saren and the geth. Not wishing to send a fleet into the Attican Traverse and risk open war with the Terminus Systems, the Council elects to make you the first human Spectre, tasked with tracking down and stopping Saren at all costs. +2 Paragon for being polite +2 Renegade for being arrogant Spectre Training unlocked Bonus to Charm and Intimidate 12 - Speak to Anderson and Udina Head to the docking bay by way of the C-Sec academy and speak with Anderson and the ambassador. They provide you with the locations of two possible leads on Saren's whereabouts: Geth have recently attacked a human colony on Feros, and the geth have also been sighted near Noveria. It may also be worth tracking down Matriarch Benezia's daughter, Dr. Liara T'Soni, who is believed to be studying Prothean ruins somewhere in the Artemis Tau Cluster. Now that you are a Spectre, you no longer answer to the Alliance military, and you may tackle these leads in any way you see fit. +2 Paragon for being respectful +2 Renegade for being brash and headstrong New Mission: "Find Liara T'Soni" New Mission: "Feros: Geth Attack" New Mission: "Noveria: Geth Interest" 13 - Prepare to Depart Enter the Normandy. You have the opportunity to make a speech to your crew informing them of the mission and your determination to complete it. +4 Paragon for emphasizing cooperation with all alien species +4 Renegade for emphasizing human self-reliance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CREW LOCATIONS Now is a good opportunity to become acclimated to your ship and to identify where certain NPCs and squad members can be found. Ashley is in the vehicle bay near the crew lockers. Kaidan is in the crew quarters near the captain's office. Wrex is in the vehicle bay near the elevator and opposite the Requisition Officer. Garrus is in the vehicle bay near the Mako. Tali is in the engineering section. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14 - Normandy Inspection (Optional) The first time you return to the Citadel after becoming a Spectre you will be greeted in the docking bay by Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, commander of the 63rd Scout Flotilla. He wishes to inspect your vessel. You can refuse, but you can earn experience points if you allow an inspection. +2 Paragon for defending the Normandy using Charm +2 Renegade for defending the Normandy using Intimidate +2 Renegade for refusing to allow an inspection SECTION 4: Liara's Dig Site 1 - The Artemis Tau Cluster Your first lead involves finding the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, who is believed to be somewhere in the Artemis Tau Cluster. Head to the Galaxy Map and select the appropriate cluster, then zoom in to view the known systems in this cluster. The system in question is the Knossos System. Select this system and travel there. Move your cursor to the planet Therum and select it to zoom in and then land on the planet. 2 - To the Refinery The path before you is fairly linear. Take the Mako north and follow the path between the cliffs and the lava. Make your way around towards the south, at which point a geth dropship will deposit a pair of geth armatures in your path. Keep your distance and use your jump jets to avoid their attacks. There is a refinery to the east but the way is blocked by a large gate and three geth heavy turrets. Take the detour around to the north, which is guarded by only one heavy turret. This path leads to the heart of the refinery, which is guarded by regular geth troopers and shock troopers, but also by rocket troopers, which have weak personal defenses but a powerful ranged attack. Your toughest opponent is a geth juggernaut, which is a more powerful version of the destroyer you faced on Eden Prime. Stay in the Mako and keep your distance while avoiding enemy attacks. In the various structures about the refinery you can find an upgrade kit, storage locker, and weapon locker. The controls to lower the north gate are in the building to the northwest. 3 - Proceed in the Mako Continue north, where you will encounter several more armatures. There are rocket troopers and a geth colossus guarding the entrance to the tunnel you must use to precede. Once again, keep your distance and zoom in with your turret to make dealing with these enemies easier. There are a small group of rocket troopers on the other side of the tunnel. Continue on until you reach another tunnel. You will encounter some rocket troopers inside the tunnel this time, along with more geth troopers and rocket troopers at the exit. 4 - On Foot to the Dig Site You eventually reach a point where the path narrows and you must leave the Mako and continue on foot. Your radar is jammed by a nearby sniper. Proceed east up the hill until you encounter geth troopers and rocket troopers. Stay in cover and pick your shots to avoid the missiles from the rocket troopers. There are also shock troopers and a geth sniper waiting in the clearing up ahead, so be on your guard. 5 - The Mining Camp At the mining camp you are ambushed by a group of geth stalkers and a geth armature. Take cover, keep your distance, and take care of the stalkers first. Having squad members with tech abilities can help to deal with the regular geth enemies. There is also some cover on a small hill to the east that is perfect for taking down the armature from a distance. Spend as little time out of cover as possible, and don't get hit by a pulse blast from the armature as it can instantly kill you. Once all the geth are defeated you may proceed inside the mine itself. 6 - Exploring the Mine Follow the ramps down into the mine. You will encounter some shock troopers and snipers along the way. Take the elevator down to the next level and follow the catwalks. As you approach the next elevator a group of geth assault drones appear from below. Like the recon drones, they are resistant to biotics but susceptible to tech powers. Take the second elevator. At the bottom, climb down the debris pile and approach the asari behind the blue barrier. 7 - Freeing Dr. T'Soni Liara T'Soni is trapped by a Prothean security device. Before you can get her out however, you must find some way past the barrier. Keep descending the ramps until you reach the bottom of the mine where you will find more shock troopers and snipers. At the far end there is a storage locker and a weapon locker. Return to the nearby mining laser and activate it using the correct sequence, A-X-B-Y (the code varies on the PC). This opens a hole you can proceed through. Activate the elevator at the end of the tunnel and take it up to Liara's location so you can free her. 8 - Escaping the Mine It seems the mining laser has caused some seismic activity and you need to leave quickly. Take the elevator up to the top floor, where you will encounter the krogan Liara told you about. You can't talk your way out of a fight, so you must defeat the krogan battlemaster along with his geth soldiers. Don't let them surround you, as they will try to move around the sides of the room to attack your squad from all directions. The krogan in particular will try to disable you with his biotics so he can charge and engage you from close range. Turn the tables and disable him biotically to make this fight much easier. When all the enemies are defeated it is a simple matter of racing to the surface to avoid certain death. 9 - Back on the Normandy When you return to your ship the crew sits around for a debriefing. Liara will discuss her work as a scientist studying Prothean ruins, as well as your visions from the Prothean beacon. When the meeting is over you can choose whether to discuss the mission with the Citadel Council. Mission Complete: "Find Liara T'Soni" SECTION 5: Feros 1 - Zhu's Hope Land at the docking bay on Feros, where you're greeted by David al Talaquani, who wants you to see Fai Dan, the leader of the colony. First though you must fight off a geth attack. Battle though the enemies and up the stairs to reach the Zhu's Hope colony. 2 - Geth in the Tower You can find Fai Dan on the far side of the colony, but you don't get to speak to him for long. More geth attack, and this time you need to follow them to the source and eliminate the threat they pose to the colonists. When the initial wave is defeated, proceed up the stairs and continue bearing left until you reach the tower to the northwest. This is where you will fight the bulk of the geth forces. Find some cover and be on the lookout for the destroyer that appears from the far end. When all the geth are defeated, the overhead dropship departs, making the colonists a little safer for now. 3 - Return to Fai Dan Go back the way you came and return to the colony, where you can finally have a talk with Fai Dan. He tells you that the geth are operating out of the nearby ExoGeni research facility. He also informs you of the various challenges facing the colonists, including a geth outpost in the tunnels, food and water shortages, and a lack of power. He directs you to the different colonists assigned to each task. You aren't required to complete any of these assignments, so you can find the details on how to complete them in the Optional Assignments section. +2 Paragon for offering your assistance to the colonists +2 Renegade for saying you only care about the geth 4 - Strange Behavior (Optional) Head inside the nearby freighter and talk to Calanth and Hollis Blake. The former is complaining of extreme headaches, but their cause is unknown. Talking to the other colonists reveals equally strange symptoms. They all seem unusually focused on their assigned tasks, and pressing them for information seems to make them uncomfortable. You can also venture down into the tunnels and find Ian Newstead, a man who seems to be in tremendous pain for some unknown reason. You can ask Fai Dan about this behavior, but he dismisses it as the traumatic effect of seeing friends and loved ones killed. +2 Paragon for being concerned for Calanth +2 Renegade for being concerned for yourself +2 Paragon for trying to help Ian +2 Renegade for threatening to kill Ian 5 - Skyway to Hell From the colony, ascend the stairs and bear right to reach the nearby elevator. This takes you up to the garage, where the Mako is conveniently parked. A geth drone is attacking the colonists in the garage, so destroy it and then jump in the Mako. When you exit the garage a dropship swoops in and deposits a pair of armatures on the path ahead of you. Take them out from a distance with the cannon before you proceed. 6 - Weigh Station Refugees (Optional) As you drive along the skyway you begin picking up radio chatter which is coming from the weigh station up ahead. When you reach the station you have the option of getting out and checking on the refugees, though you can also continue up the nearby ramp and ignore the camp for now. The two prominent figures at the camp are Julianna Baynham and Ethan Jeong, the former of which is worried for her daughter, Lizbeth. Lizbeth, she believes, is still at the ExoGeni facility, though Jeong is doubtful she is still alive given that the geth have overrun the complex. You can also speak to Gavin Hossle, who needs you to recover some data for him. Be on the lookout for hidden maintenance tunnels as you travel the skyway, as they contain a few extra geth and some containers you can loot. 7 - The ExoGeni Facility Proceed along the skyway until you reach the ExoGeni main level where you must leave the Mako for now. There are a handful of enemies to deal with in this area. The path south is blocked by an energy field you will need to deactivate later. The door to the north is locked, but leads to a small room with a malfunctioning object. Take note that accessing the object alerts the nearby geth armature to your presence. To proceed you must go southwest and drop down a small ledge to reach the lower level. You won't be able to return this way, so you'll need to deactivate that energy field to return to the Mako. 8 - Lizbeth Elizabeth Baynham can be found on this level as soon as you exit the first corridor. She informs you that the geth are likely here for the Thorian, an indigenous plant-like lifeform. She gives you her pass card, which allows you unrestricted access to the facility. Immediately after the conversation concludes you are beset by a swarm of varren. Shotguns work well here, as the varren don't have much protection and will simply charge at you. Proceed to the other side of the room and follow the path back up to the main level. 9 - The VI At the top of the steps there is a krogan commander trying to obtain restricted information from a VI interface. He becomes alerted to your presence and attacks. You'll want to defeat him quickly before he can do any serious damage. Biotics work well for disabling him before he can charge at you. Once he is defeated you can access the VI, which identifies you as Lizbeth because you are carrying her pass card. From the VI you can learn that the Thorian is a sentient being that produces spores which allow it to control the minds of other beings. The Thorian was the focus of ExoGeni's research of Feros. The Zhu's Hope colonists have been infected by the Thorian's spores, which explains their strange behavior. You also learn that Lizbeth wasn't telling you the whole truth about her involvement with the Thorian research. "Feros: Geth Attack" -> "Feros: The Thorian" 10 - The Geth Church Head east along the corridor. The first room you come to shows that the power for the energy field is coming from a geth ship, which has anchored itself to the side of the facility. To cut the power you will need to remove the ship by severing one of its claws. There are a few geth shock troopers to fight, after which you can examine the strange glowing orb they seemed to be praying to. Your squad will speculate as to its purpose. Keep going until you reach the next room, which is on the opposite side of the energy field you first saw when you entered the facility. This is the field you will need to remove to get back to the Mako. The path to the east leads to the upper level of the facility, which has a small room guarded by a few krogan. Inside there is a server node that supplies a codex entry, a secure storage locker, and the console containing Gavin Hossle's data. 11 - Anchors Aweigh The path to the west also leads to the upper level. In the first room is an ExoGeni terminal that gives the assignment "Investigate Facility." Proceed up the stairs to the platform. A quick peek at the next room shows that it is heavily guarded. Stick to the stairs and the platform to avoid being overwhelmed by the geth. When all the enemies are defeated you can access the secure crate in the next room, along with a terminal which gives the assignment "Geth Activates," and a server which gives the assignment "Investigate Samples." Most importantly, at the back of the room are the shuttle bay door controls. Here you want to hit the sweet spot by setting the internal pressure to be between 31 and 34 pounds per square inch. You can do this by activating a number of smaller controls which each provide a fixed amount of pressure. One combination that works is 17 + 11 + 5 = 33 psi (228 kPa). Activating the door controls with this level of pressure will force the door to shear straight through the geth anchor, causing it to lose its grip on the building. This severs the power, taking care of the problem with the energy barrier. 12 - Back to the Weigh Station Head back the way you came and proceed north towards the Mako though the now accessible corridor. Lizbeth is waiting for you at the exit, at which point you will confront her about her involvement with the Thorian. Get back in the Mako and head back to the weigh station to reunite Lizbeth with her mother. There are a handful of geth armatures and destroyers to contend with on the path back to the station. +2 Paragon for believing Lizbeth's story +2 Renegade for not believing Lizbeth's story 13 - The Situation with the Colonists At the weigh station Lizbeth gets out and is reunited with her mother. Unfortunately, Jeong has gotten through to the ExoGeni headquarters and has learned that they want the entire colony purged to prevent the Thorian from spreading. Using Charm or Intimidate you can talk Jeong out of it, but otherwise you simply have to kill him. As for the colonists, Julianna Baynham has an idea for stopping them without having to kill them. She offers you a grenade upgrade which contains a nerve agent that should pacify the colonists safely. Whether or not you choose to use it is left up to you. +8 Paragon for talking Jeong down using Charm +9 Renegade for talking Jeong down using Intimidate +2 Paragon for agreeing to spare the colonists +2 Renegade for refusing to spare the colonists 14 - The Creepers Head back to the Mako and return to the colony, where you'll have your first encounter with a thorian creeper. These creatures were created by the Thorian, so unlike the colonists there is no penalty for killing them. There are a large number of them in the garage, which should get you acclimated to fighting them. They don't have any weapons, but they spew a toxic substance when they get close enough. Shotguns and ammunition upgrades that knock down the creepers will help keep them away from you. 15 - The Infected Colonists At the entrance to the garage you have the option of ordering your squad to hold their fire on the colonists themselves. Doing so means your allies will only attack the creepers, leaving you free to handle the colonists. If you wish to save them, equip the Anti-Thorian Gas upgrade to your grenades and use them to attack the colonists. You can also melee them to knock them out without killing them. This is riskier however, because if you misjudge the distance you might kill them by mistake. There are sixteen colonists in all that you can save. The first group you encounter is at the top of the elevator in the garage. You can then find a few colonists on the landing as you descend the steps to Zhu's Hope. There are more at the entrance to the colony itself, where you can also find a crate nearby that will replenish your supply of grenades. Save or kill the remaining colonists on the western walkway and near the crane controls to complete this objective. When all the colonists and creepers are dealt with, activate the crane controls to open the way to the Thorian's lair. Fai Dan shows up, telling you that the Thorian wants him to kill you. However, he is able to fight off the Thorian just enough to end his own life before you have to fight him. +2 Paragon for each colonist saved +2 Renegade for each colonist killed 16 - The Thorian Take the steps down into the Thorian's lair. As you approach the Thorian itself, it spews out an asari clone which speaks to you on its behalf. It seems that Saren came to Feros and formed an alliance with the Thorian. He bartered the lives of the colonists for the ancient knowledge of the Protheans, but then betrayed the Thorian, sending the geth to destroy it and prevent you from receiving its secrets. +2 Paragon for demanding the release of the colonists +2 Renegade for saying you will destroy the Thorian 17 - Severing the Nodes The asari clone attacks you. Beware of her biotic abilities and kill her as quickly as possible. Consider using biotics of your own to knock her off the edge, or equip ammunition upgrades that bypass shields to help deal with her biotic barrier. To eliminate the Thorian you must sever each of the neural nodes holding it to the walls of the lair. Your efforts will be hampered by legions of thorian creepers, and the occasional asari clones that the Thorian will continue to spit out. On the first level go north through the door and sever the first node by firing on it until it explodes. Usually, firing on a node will alert a number of dormant nearby creepers, so take care to eliminate as many enemies as possible before you try to take down each node. The nodes also go down faster when all nearby enemies are defeated. Proceed up the steps to the next level where you can find another asari clone as well as a weapons locker before coming to the next neural node. On the next level there is a node to the south, and another to the west as you proceed clockwise around the chamber. Keep an eye out for the medical station on this level. Head up to the next level and destroy the node to the northwest. Finally, on the top level, head counterclockwise until you reach the final node on the south side of the lair. <><><><><> TIP - Sonny Nilsson: "On Insane difficulty, those thorian creepers can really take a beating even with the best Spectre gear, but they die instantly if you push them off the edge on each floor. Just melee them until they drop off the edge. It's even better with a biotic character as then you can push out many at the same time. The same goes for those annoying asari clones, but if they have shields up you can't melee them to the ground. This strategy makes the boss fight quite fast on Insane difficulty." <><><><><> 18 - The Cipher Destroying the final node causes the Thorian to lose its grip and fall into the abyss below. Additionally, an asari emerges from one of the Thorian's pods along the wall. She identifies herself as Shiala, a former follower of Matriarch Benezia who Saren had used to interface with the Thorian and learn about the Protheans. She also informs you about Sovereign, Saren's flagship. She claims that being on the ship changes you in subtle ways, and forces you to obey Saren's will. Finally, she offers you the Cipher, the same knowledge she gave to Saren, in the hopes that you can stop him. Because she was once a servant of Saren and Benezia, you have the option of killing her. She does not resist if you decide that will be her fate. If you let her live she vows to help the colonists rebuild, as she wants to make amends for playing a role in many of their deaths. +8 Paragon for sparing Shiala +9 Renegade for killing Shiala 19 - Normandy Debrief Back on the ship, your crew sits in the comm room to discuss the last mission. If you've picked up Liara already, she offers to join her mind with yours to try to make more sense of the visions you've had. When the briefing is over you can talk to the Council if you choose. +2 Paragon for politely defending your actions on Feros +2 Renegade for aggressively defending your action on Feros Mission Complete: "Feros: The Thorian" ~~~~~~~~~~ VIRMIRE After you complete two of the primary plot worlds (Therum, Feros, or Noveria), you receive a message from the council advising you of a new lead into Saren's whereabouts. They have lost contact with an infiltration regiment investigating Saren's activates on the planet Virmire, but had received an unintelligible transmission from them on an emergency frequency. +2 Renegade for saying you don't have time New Mission: "Virmire" New Mission: "Race Against Time" ~~~~~~~~~~ SECTION 6: Noveria 1 - Confrontation in the Docking Bay Head to Noveria and land at Port Hanshan. Before you can leave the docking bay however, you are confronted by a group of armed guards led by Maeko Matsuo, who identifies herself as an employee of Elanus Risk Control Services (ERCS) and the head of security at Port Hanshan. They try to confiscate your weapons, but a voice on the intercom interrupts, telling Captain Matsuo to stand down and let you pass. +2 Paragon for cooperating with Matsuo +2 Renegade for refusing to give up your weapons 2 - Entering the Port Continue through security. Your weapons will set off an alarm, but it's nothing to worry about according to Gianna Parasini, the assistant to Administrator Anoleis. She informs you that Matriarch Benezia passed through the port a few days ago on the way to the Peak 15 research facility. In order to follow her you'll need to procure a garage pass, for which you should see the administrator. If Liara is in your squad she will ask if you still want her to come with you. If she isn't currently with you, a squad member will suggest that you return to the ship and get her. New Mission: "Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan" "Noveria: Geth Interest" -> "Noveria: Matriarch Benezia" 3 - Elanus Risk Control (Optional) Head back to speak with Captain Matsuo for a chance to improve or degrade your relationship with the local security forces. While you can win Captain Matsuo over, Sergeant Kaira Stirling isn't so easy. +2 Paragon for accepting Matsuo's apology +2 Renegade for refusing to accept Matsuo's apology 4 - The Administrator Anoleis' office is in the southeast corner of the port. Head through the doors and speak to Miss Parasini, who will let you in to see the administrator. Anoleis is a very impatient salarian, who will inform you that Saren is a major investor in Binary Helix, and that Benezia is here to address an issue at their research facility. The only way he will provide you a pass to leave the port is if you inform him about Opold's request as part of the "Noveria: Smuggling" assignment. Doing this provides you the quickest way out of the port but misses out on a fair amount of content and a hefty sum of Paragon or Renegade points. 5 - "You Can't Bludgeon Through Bureaucracy" (Optional) Back outside Anoleis' office you can talk to Gianna again to learn that there are other ways of securing a garage pass. She advises you to speak with Lorik Qui'in, who can be found at the nearby hotel. Head to the northwest side of the port and take the elevator up to the hotel lobby. Lorik Qui'in is at a table to the left side as you enter. Qui'in tells you that Anoleis has closed his Synthetic Insights office because Qui'in has evidence of the administrator's corruption. At this very moment, Anoleis' goons are ransacking the SI offices looking for the evidence. Qui'in offers you a deal: recover the evidence against Anoleis from his office, and he will in turn provide you with the garage pass you need. New Mission: "Noveria: Lorik Qui'in" 6 - Retrieving the Evidence (Optional) Agree to Qui'in's deal to receive his elevator pass, allowing you to enter the Synthetic Insights offices via the elevator in the southwest corner of the port. Before you leave the hotel, you can head upstairs to the office in the southwest corner and access the terminal to get the assignment "Doctor at Risk." More importantly, you can deactivate the Synthetic Insights security system from here by decrypting the security control unit. The SI offices are located in the southwest corner of the port. When you reach the offices, you'll find ERCS guards ransacking the place just as Qui'in said they were. It's possible to persuade the first group you encounter to leave peacefully, but you will have to fight the rest in order to get to the evidence, which is located in the top floor office. +8 Paragon for convincing the guards to leave using Charm +9 Renegade for convincing the guards to leave using Intimidate 7 - A Crooked Cop (Optional) On your way out after retrieving the evidence you are stopped by a group of guards led by Kaira Stirling, one of the guards you first met when you entered the port. She plans on taking revenge for the ERCS guards you've killed to get Qui'in's evidence. There's no talking your way out of this fight. Retreat to the office for more cover and clear firing lanes on the corridor. Also watch out for Kaira's biotic abilities. When all the guards are defeated, descend the elevator to leave the offices. +2 Paragon for insisting you acted in self defense +2 Renegade for refusing to defend your actions 8 - Gianna's Identity (Optional) At the bottom of the elevator you encounter Gianna Parasini again, who asks that you meet her at the hotel before you talk to Lorik Qui'in about the evidence. Head there and speak to her to learn that she's actually an undercover internal affairs agent investigating Anoleis. It seems the executive board for Noveria is well aware of Anoleis' corruption, and has been trying to get enough evidence to take him down for months. Now that you have the evidence, she wants you to convince Lorik to testify against Anoleis. Combined with the evidence from his office, Lorik's testimony should be enough that she can safely arrest Anoleis and bring him up on charges for his crimes. She also promises to get you a garage pass if you help her out. If prompted, she can also give you some information on what's been going on at the Peak 15 facility. New Mission: "Noveria: Peak 15" 9 - Convincing Qui'in (Optional) If you are willing and able, use Charm or Intimidate to convince Lorik to testify against the administrator. If you are unable to convince him or simply choose to hand the evidence over, he rewards you with the promised garage pass. +24 Paragon for convincing Lorik using Charm +25 Renegade for convincing Lorik using Intimidate +500 Credits for giving the evidence to Lorik +750 Credits for giving the evidence to Lorik using Charm or Intimidate 10 - Dealing with Anoleis (Optional) If you convinced Qui'in to testify, head back down to the administrator's office. You now have the choice of informing Gianna of Lorik's cooperation, in which case she arrests the administrator and gives you the garage pass. However, you can also double-cross Gianna and Lorik by telling the administrator what's going on. If you give him the evidence, he rewards you with the pass you need. Otherwise, he will call Gianna into his office. The two fight, and both end up dead. You can then search the administrator's corpse for the garage pass. The only person who needs the evidence in this case is Lorik, so go back to the hotel and give it to him. +8 Paragon for helping Gianna arrest Anoleis +2 Renegade for giving Anoleis the evidence +24 Renegade for telling Anoleis about Gianna Mission Complete: "Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan" Mission Complete: "Noveria: Lorik Qui'in" 11 - Accessing the Garage Take your garage pass and access the garage in the southwest area of the port. You won't get far however, as a group of geth led by a pair of destroyers ambush you before you can reach the Mako. You can make this fight easier by decrypting the lock on the nearby crawler and turning its guns against the geth. Once the fight is over, Matsuo shows up to investigate the commotion. The geth were clearly snuck past security in the cargo crates, and she informs you that there could be dozens of geth on the road to Peak 15. <><><><><> TIP - Sonny Nilsson: "Armors from Devlon Industries (and others) protect against most level 1 hazards, so on Noveria you can use Explorer armor to negate the cold effect outside." <><><><><> 12 - Hit the Road Grab the nearby upgrade kit and then hop in the Mako. There is a level 1 cold hazard on Noveria, so don't stray too far from the Mako on the paths ahead, but do keep an eye out for crates and kits along the way, especially near abandoned vehicles. The path to Peak 15 is crawling with geth, particularly rocket troopers, along with some heavy turrets and armatures out in the open. Be especially wary of the tunnels, which tend to act as choke points, making it harder to dodge incoming rockets. Keep your distance from enemies and back off if things become too dangerous. 13 - Peak 15 When you reach the facility, hop out and head inside, where a number of geth are waiting for you. The biggest danger is a geth juggernaut, who will charge you when you open the door. Hang back to avoid being flanked by the enemies on the balcony to the left, and concentrate on taking down the juggernaut first. There are also a few krogan at the far end of the room. When all the enemies are defeated, head up the ramp to the nearby security office, which has an upgrade kit and storage locker. Opposite the security office is the elevator up to the administration level. 14 - Cafeteria Surprise Cautiously enter the cafeteria and take care of the geth guarding it. Once they are gone, however, a swarm of rachni show up. Previously thought to be extinct, it seems the Peak 15 researchers have found a way bring back the rachni, though it's clear the situation in the facility has gotten out of hand as a result. There are two types of rachni to worry about in the facility. The workers are small, and their only attack it to rush at you and explode when they get close enough. Soldiers, on the other hand, can spit acid from afar, but also have a deadly melee attack. You would do well to avoid engaging the soldiers at close range, though shotguns are quite effective against the workers. Both cause toxic damage, so upgrades that mitigate this effect will help you progress through the facility. You'll also need to take extra care, as the soldiers will often spring out of vents in the floor to surprise you. When all the rachni in this area are dead, take the elevator to the Mira Core. 15 - Restoring the VI To get to the next area of the facility you need to take the tram, but first you have to restore a number of critical systems that have gone offline because the rachni have overrun the complex. You first need to reactivate Peak 15's VI to assist you in the restoration of each system. Reactivate the power junction in the main room and then head to the center of the round room ahead. Enter the elevator in the middle to descend into the core. Here, to restore the VI you can either spend 100 omni-gel, or solve the classic Tower of Hanoi puzzle that BioWare fans may remember from "Knights of the Old Republic." When you finish, the VI system is restored and you can now begin restoring the other systems. Mission Complete: "Noveria: Peak 15" New Mission: "Noveria: Reconnect Landlines" New Mission: "Noveria: Reactor Repair" ~~~~~~~~~~ MIRA CORE PUZZLE To restore the VI manually, you need to move each of the four blocks in the first column (labeled X on the Xbox 360) to another column (either Y or B), noting that only the top block in each column can be moved. Press the button corresponding with the column you want to move a block from, and then the button corresponding to the column you want to move that block to in order to rearrange the puzzle pieces. There are potentially many ways to solve this puzzle, but here is a common solution: Begin by moving the top three blocks to the middle column. This frees up the bottom block to be moved to the right column, where the top three blocks can then be stacked on top of it. Follow these instructions to achieve this result: X -> Y X -> B Y -> B X -> Y B -> X B -> Y X -> Y X -> B Y -> B Y -> X B -> X Y -> B X -> Y X -> B Y -> B ~~~~~~~~~~ 16 - Reconnect the Landlines The "Mira" VI appears and informs you that a number of critical systems are offline and need to be fixed for you to proceed. First up are the landlines on the roof, which need to be reconnected. Head west and take the elevator to the roof, where you must fight off a horde of rachni. When all the creatures are dead, simply repair the landlines and head back down to the Mira Core. Mission Complete: "Noveria: Reconnect Landlines" 17 - Repair the Fuel Lines Go east, and then north along the corridor to the elevator that leads to the reactor. Here you must face a variety of geth soldiers. Take the passage on the left side, and follow it around to the ramp. You'll want to clear out the top floor and balcony first to make getting to the fuel lines easier. Though there are destroyers and stalkers on the lower walkways, there is a juggernaut in the balcony that can cause you problems. Once all the geth are eliminated, follow the lower walkways around to the middle of the reactor and activate the fuel line controls. When you're finished, head back to the Mira Core. Mission Complete: "Noveria: Reactor Repair" New Mission: "Noveria: Contamination" 18 - Taking the Tram With the landlines and fuel lines fixed the way south is now open, taking you to the tram platform. To get there you first need to clear out the decontamination chamber, which has some rachni soldiers trapped in it. With a high enough electronics skill you can repair the decon system and torch the rachni remotely. Otherwise, decrypt the lock or have Mira open the door for you and eliminate the rachni yourself. The way is now clear to the tram platform. Hop on the tram and take it to the Rift Station. Mission Complete: "Noveria: Contamination" 19 - Rift Station Exit the tram and head north. The northern door is locked, and the path to the east leads to a pair of elevators, only one of which you can use. Take the elevator up to the main level and speak with Captain Ventralis, who's leading the defense against the rachni. With sufficient Charm or Intimidate you can get him to reveal more about the station's defenses. As soon as you're done talking a group of rachni soldiers attack the barricade. Help fight them off, and then talk to Ventralis again. He tells you that Benezia is down in the hot labs, and gives you a pass card to the appropriate elevator to get there. +2 Paragon for learning more about the defenses using Charm +2 Renegade for learning more about the defenses using Intimidate +2 Paragon for graciously defending the survivors from the attack New Mission: "Noveria: The Hot Labs" ~~~~~~~~~~ RIFT STATION Captain Ventralis wants you to go down to the hot labs, and while you can do so now, you can also save this task for later. The primary objective is to reach Benezia, who--contrary to Ventralis's information--is actually in the secure labs in the center of the lower level. To get there you have several choices: The first choice is to simply blast your way through the security on the main level and then take the elevator down to the lower level. To do this you'd have to decrypt the door lock and breach the defenses they've set up to stop the rachni. Taking this route turns all the soldiers in the complex against you. The alternative is to sneak in through the maintenance tunnels by way of the scientist barracks on the lower level. To do this, you need to help make a cure for Dr. Cohen, as detailed below. Note that you can also reach Benezia by investigating the hot labs first. Doing so opens up both the security entrance, and the maintenance passage once you return from the hot labs. ~~~~~~~~~~ 20 - Direct Assault (Optional) To get to Benezia as fast as possible, simply breach the security door on the north side of the mess hall on the main level. The two nearby sentry drones will attack you, along with the host of guards beyond the door. Though messy, this route is good for experience if you can manage it. 21 - Dr. Cohen (Optional) Alternatively--if you want to avoid a fight--you will need to gain access to the maintenance tunnels. Doing so will allow you to sneak into the secure labs without alerting the guards. On the main level, go down the winding stairs to the west to find Dr. Cohen. He needs your help making a cure for his fellow researchers who have been exposed to a toxin they were developing. You can use Charm or Intimidate for more information on what's been going on at Peak 15. New Mission: "Noveria: Quarantine" 22 - Getting the Cure (Optional) Go back to Captain Ventralis and get his permission to enter the quarantined lab. You can find the lab on the lower level to the south guarded by an ERCS guard. Go inside and make the cure by pressing the appropriate buttons so that the meter falls between the first indicator and the second. When the cure is complete you are interrupted by Alestia Iallis, a servant of Matriarch Benezia who has decided this is the perfect time to kill you. She has an asari commando and a couple geth troopers with her. Take cover and try to avoid their biotics while taking them out as fast as possible. Because of the close quarters, crowd control powers like Singularity work especially well here. When the battle is finished, return to Cohen and give him the cure, receiving the maintenance tunnel pass in return. You can also use Charm or Intimidate to get some extra supplies from him. Take the maintenance tunnel on the lower level to reach the secure labs. +24 Paragon for helping Dr. Cohen with the cure Mission Complete: "Noveria: Quarantine" New Mission: "Noveria: Rift Station" <><><><><> TIP - Stephen Wright: "After you go through the maintenance area, you can head through the doors back towards the elevators that take you up to the 'Direct Approach' defended sections. Doing this allows you access to two upgrades containers. Then you can take the elevator up to the 'Direct Approach' defended area, open the doors and kill the soldiers in that first room. As long as you shoot them from the elevator, you can get their xp while still having the 'stealthy' mission log." <><><><><> 23 - The Matriarch Enter the secure labs to begin your confrontation with Benezia. During the first part of the battle she will call in geth and asari reinforcements periodically, so your best bet is to avoid her entirely and concentrate on her servants. To do this, follow the right path towards the west side of the lab. Find some cover and fight off the asari commandos and geth snipers she calls in. When you defeat the last of her guards she will be out of energy and you can confront her. After a revealing conversation she loses control once more and you must fight her face to face. This time the best strategy is to attack her with everything your squad has. The faster you can eliminate her, the better, as you still have to worry about the asari commandos she brings in to flank you. Disabling powers like Lift can help keep her from using powers against you. If you don't act quickly you can easily be overwhelmed. Once she is defeated, mop up her remaining servants to conclude the battle. "Noveria: Matriarch Benezia" -> "Noveria: Death of a Matriarch" 24 - The Rachni Queen Now that Benezia is dead, there's still the matter of the queen that was being used to repopulate the rachni species. Speaking through a dead asari commando, the queen tells you that her children have gone mad because they cannot hear their mother. They cannot be saved, and she asks that you destroy them, if you have not already. Now you must decide whether or not to destroy the queen and exterminate the rachni for good. +24 Paragon for sparing the life of the rachni queen +25 Renegade for exterminating the rachni queen Mission Complete: "Noveria: Rift Station" 25 - The Hot Labs (Optional) You are now free to fulfill the queen's request and eliminate the rachni in the facility--if you have not done so already. You can also ignore the request and simply leave via the tram car. This will lead Noveria's executive board to bomb the Peak 15 site to contain the rachni threat. Head down to the hot labs via the elevator from the lower level and speak with Yaroslev Tartakovsy. He wants you to set off the neutron purge to cleanse the station of the rachni. Before he can give you the code he is slain by a rachni soldier. Defeat the creature and then collect the code from Tartakovsy's body. Head to the back of the lab and access the Mira terminal. Give her the code to begin the countdown. Immediately, rachni will begin bursting into the main room. They will keep coming and you can't fight them all. Your best bet is simply to make a run for the elevator and escape before time runs out. Consider using biotic powers to help clear a path. Mission Complete: "Noveria: The Hot Labs" 26 - Return to the Normandy Take the tram car to leave Noveria. You have a brief meeting in the comm room with your crew to discuss Benezia's information. Once again you can talk to the Council if you wish. +2 Paragon for politely defending your actions on Noveria +2 Renegade for aggressively defending your actions on Noveria Mission Complete: "Noveria: Death of a Matriarch" SECTION 7: Virmire 1 - Point Insertion Wrap up any outstanding assignments you want to complete and head to the Sentry Omega Cluster. Joker informs you that the Normandy can't get to the infiltration team because of an anti-air defense tower in the area. You'll need to land in the Mako and take down the defenses so the Normandy can move in. 2 - The First Gatehouse The path to the AA tower is mostly linear, but there are obstacles in your way. First there are a small group of drones, and then some foot soldiers along the path. Eventually you will reach a gatehouse. Though you don't need to open the gate to proceed, this is good practice for the gatehouses you will need to clear out later, and there are some containers on the upper level. 3 - The AA Tower Beyond the gatehouse is a geth colossus, which is just a more powerful version of the armature. The path splits after this, but expect colossi and armatures in either direction. Ahead is another gatehouse. Destroy as many geth as possible before leaving the Mako to access the gate controls on the upper level. Before you can proceed you also need to deactivate the AA tower so the Normandy can land up ahead. There is one final gatehouse beyond the tower, and then it's a straight shot to the camp. 4 - Captain Kirrahe Enter the camp and speak to Captain Kirrahe, the leader of the salarian infiltration team. He tells you that he's been investigating a research base on Virmire belonging to Saren. It seems that Saren is somehow using the facility to breed an army of krogan. According to Kirrahe, Saren has been researching a cure for the genophage that had been used by the turians to keep the krogan population under control. You need put a stop to Saren's plans before he breeds an unstoppable army. "Virmire" -> "Virmire: Saren's Plan" 5 - Wrex and the Genophage (Optional) If you didn't pick up Wrex in the C-Sec academy back on the Citadel, then you should have nothing to worry about here. If you did however, then he's none too pleased that you plan on destroying the cure for his people. More information on this conversation can be found in the Optional Assignments section. Briefly, unless certain circumstances are met you must use Charm or Intimidate to defuse the situation when talking to Wrex. If you can't convince him then you or Ashley will have to kill him. +24 Paragon for calming Wrex down using Charm +8 Renegade for calming Wrex down using Intimidate +25 Renegade for killing Wrex +25 Renegade for ordering Ashley to kill Wrex +2 Paragon for lamenting your decision to kill Wrex +8 Paragon for chastising Ashley for killing Wrex 6 - A Daring Plan Kirrahe has been working on a plan to destroy the facility and put a stop to Saren's activities on Virmire. He has rigged the drive core from his ship to act as a massive improvised explosive. Unfortunately, the only way to get the bomb into the base is to fly it in using the Normandy. That means someone has to infiltrate the base and take down the AA defenses guarding it. Kirrahe's plan is to use his men to feign an attack from the front to distract the geth forces while you sneak a small team into the base from the rear and knock out the defenses. Unfortunately, Kirrahe is short on men and he needs someone from your squad to coordinate between the teams. You can choose either Ashley and Kaidan to go with Kirrahe. The consequences for this decision are minor, and your choice should be based on who you are more likely to bring with you when you assault the base. Speak to Commander Rentola to make sure you've got the best equipment possible. Be sure to clear out your inventory, as a large number of items are up for grabs in the Virmire base. When you're ready for the attack, speak with Captain Kirrahe to begin the mission. "Virmire: Saren's Plan" -> "Virmire: Assault" 7 - Shadow Team There are a number of things you can do to assist Kirrahe's team, but these are part of an optional assignment and are included in the next section. If you're not interested in helping the other teams, simply press forward to the geth base to the west. There are no new enemies here, just a few drones, geth soldiers of various types, and a handful of krogan. The krogan are your biggest concern, as they are deadly to you and your squad members at close range. Do your best to keep your distance, and use tech or biotic powers to disable them if they get too close. 8 - Infiltrate the Base At the west end of this area you have two paths to choose from. Entering the sewers to the south leads into the base through a backdoor onto the detainment level. The more direct route lies to the north, which leads directly to the warehouse and subsequent maintenance area. Either path requires you to access a security panel, which one of your squad members will use to disable the base security and get you inside. You also have the option of setting off an alarm on the far side of the base. This will redirect the base defenders to make it easier for you, but will also mean tougher resistance for the salarians. Putting the pressure on Kirrahe's teams might be too much for them to handle. Once the doors are unlocked, the other path becomes closed to you. 9 - Saren's Experiments If you entered from the south, take the stairs up to the storage room. From here you can go up to the next floor to cell block B, where a group of salarians are being held prisoner. You can release them but they turn on you as soon as the cells are opened. Go back down the next set of stairs to reach the elevator to the labs. If you entered from the north you need to clear out the warehouse of indoctrinated salarians. From here you can head outside to reach cell block A to find another group of captive salarians. When you are done, head back downstairs to the elevator and take it to the labs. +4 Paragon for releasing the salarians +2 Renegade for leaving the salarians 10 - Genophage Research In the lab you'll need to fight some krogan and asari scientists, as well as a number of husks. Pick up the kits in this room, and access the medical station at the back before proceeding west out onto the catwalks. Eliminate the nearby troopers and follow the path to the security office, where you'll find Rana Thanoptis, an asari scientist who's been working for Saren. She tells you about the indoctrination process, by which Sovereign--Saren's flagship--controls the minds of those who are exposed to it. When you're done speaking you can choose whether or not to kill her for her involvement with Saren. It likely doesn't matter because she probably won't be able to make it out of the blast radius in time. +9 Renegade for killing Rana 11 - Sovereign Head up the elevator Rana unlocked for you. In this room you find another beacon, like the one you found on Eden Prime. Activate it to have another piece of the Prothean puzzle downloaded into your mind. Head back up to the next level where you encounter a holographic image of Saren's flagship. Sovereign reveals its true nature: it is not merely a ship, it is an actual Reaper! It explains that the Reapers have existed for countless millennia, and will continue to eliminate advanced life in the galaxy every 50,000 years until the end of time. Sovereign claims that the Reapers construct