Mass effect

@paradox

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computer games walkthroughs

 · 28 Jun 2024

Episodes

1. NORMANDY
2. EDEN PRIME
3. CITADEL STATION
4. GALAXY
5. FEROS
6. CITADEL
7. TRIP ILOS
8. NORMANDY

NORMANDY

After creating your character and watching the various introductory cutscenes, talk to Joker and his co-pilot, then head to the back of the spaceship. Along the way, have a chat with Navigator Pressly, Dr. Chakwas, and the peculiar soldier Jenkins to receive useful information for the Codex and experience bonuses. You can then distribute these bonuses among your abilities by accessing the Squad screen. When you reach Nihlus, talk to him and then to Captain Anderson. At the end of the conversation, listen to the transmission from Eden Prime to find yourself on the planet in no time.

EDEN PRIME

The first group you'll move with includes soldier Jenkins and Kaiden Alenko, a sentinel capable of using both tech and biotic attacks. It's advisable to immediately allocate points to First Aid and Barrier for Kaiden, so he can automatically use the latter if you come under enemy fire. Use the Y button to activate First Aid if someone gets injured. Practice the combat system by pressing the left trigger to aim and the right trigger to shoot, then start advancing in this first area, using the gas pockets to hone your aim. Retrieve a first treasure chest in the water ahead, then go right into the niche to find some upgrades. Continue forward until Jenkins falls to the ground. Shoot the Geth Probes to eliminate them, then check Jenkins' body before moving on. Keep progressing, shooting any enemies you encounter, and collecting the contents of chests and various containers that appear during your journey. These will allow you to distribute useful experience points and skills to your squad. When you meet Ashley Williams, save her to add her to your squad in place of the fallen soldier, immediately assigning her points in Assault Rifle and useful skills. Collect the equipment from the chests, choose the most suitable weapons and armor, then proceed to the dig site. Clear the area of Geth using your weapons and abilities, as well as the various elements of the environment, behind which you often need to hide to avoid enemy fire. Once you reach the camp, when you see Husks approaching, back up to prevent them from reaching you, using Kaiden's Throw ability to pin one down while you shoot the others. After overcoming them, advance into the camp and try to open the door using Decryption, but save first. Once the passage is open, talk to Dr. Warren and her deranged assistant, from whom you can obtain a lot of new information about the attack.

Reach the spaceport beyond the hill, kill the Geth Troopers by shooting the explosives near them, then, after the Husks are dead, open the nearby shuttle door to find some farmers, whom you can try to intimidate if you have the necessary skills to gather useful information. Check inside the shed to find a weapon and other items, then head to the spaceport to find Nihlus' corpse, but first open the nearby med kit and retrieve the upgrade kit behind the flames. Hear what the man near the body has to say, try to persuade Cole to give you the name of his contact, so you can pressure him for grenades. Then descend to the train area, eliminate all the Geth, perhaps by blowing up the plasma cells on the various cars, then proceed to the center of the train, using the environment for cover from the Destroyer's annoying shots. If it gets too close, use Throw to push it away, then run to the end of the train to destroy the remaining Geth. Once on the final platform of the spaceport, you'll discover that the enemies have activated four charges, which they're guarding to ensure the area blows up. Take them on slowly, as they're positioned to cause you significant problems, especially considering your limited equipment. Stay covered as you approach and wear them down with a mix of grenades from a distance and the most suitable abilities to weaken them. Keep this up until they're dead, then after clearing the area, reach the explosive charges on the minimap to deactivate them all. Finally, head to the other side of the spaceport, where a handful of Geth await you. Kill them along with the Husks, then search the area up and down for containers and lockers. After collecting everything inside them, reach the beacon and start investigating to complete the mission.

CITADEL STATION

After chatting with Anderson, head to the lounge to speak with Ashley and Kaiden, aiming to get on their good side and improve your relationship with them. Check out the CIC area and the command deck to receive new information via the Codex. Once you're done, meet Joker and depart for the Citadel, landing shortly at its station where you will finally meet Udina, the ambassador. He will instruct you and your team to go to the council tower to report on Saren's actions. Head to the tower, receiving several quests to complete as you proceed. Speak with one or more Avina to learn about the Citadel's transport system and more. These quests are mandatory and need to be completed to leave the area, which is necessary to progress in the game. The main quest, titled "Expose Saren," will require the most effort within the Citadel. After talking to Ambassador Udina, use the rapid transit system to reach the tower. Upon arrival, have a brief chat with Garrus, then head up the stairs to find Anderson. The outcome of your briefing will be unfavorable regardless of what you say or do, as the council will not declare Saren guilty. The only way to prove his guilt is to find evidence of his crimes, which requires completing two new quests titled "Garrus" and "Shadow Broker." Completing both quests will reward you with new members to add to your team.

The first quest features the CSec investigator who should be investigating Saren's crimes, a truly evil and elusive character who has managed to deceive everyone so far. You need to find Garrus to compare the clues you have with his. Head to Chora's Den, prepared to fight the enemies outside the club. Use your abilities to defeat them, then enter to find Harkin at a table in the bar. He will inform you that the investigator is in the Upper Wards, at Dr. Michel's clinic. Go there, clear out the four enemies trying to kill you, then talk to Garrus, who will join your team, ending the mission. If you lack equipment to restore energy, consider checking out the armor upgrades sold by the doctor, which might prove useful. The protagonist of the second quest, the Shadow Broker, is an informant you cannot contact directly. Instead, you must go to his agent, Barla Von, a bank employee in the financial district who has important information. Visit him at work to receive a new mission and meet Wrex, a Krogan bounty hunter tasked by the Shadow Broker to track down Saren. Wrex will join your team after you talk to him at the CSec Academy. With two new allies in your party, return to Chora's Den, where Fist is located, though you won't be able to speak to anyone there. Instead, unleash your firepower on the enemies inside without the help of your teammates (leave them outside to avoid heavy risks). Then, enter Fist's office and start shooting him as you prefer. Be cautious of the turrets protecting him, using the environment for cover to shield yourself from enemy fire. Fist will reveal that the Quarian is about to be ambushed, forcing you to find her quickly to prevent her death.

Call Wrex to eliminate Fist, retrieve a data disc from his corpse, then break into the wall safe in the office to find useful armor and weapon upgrades. You'll have four minutes to reach the alley near Chora's Den, so hurry to clear out the enemies that have again filled the club room, then exit into the Wards. Go left after leaving the club area, ascend the stairs to reach the alley, and fight the assassins sent to kill the Quarian, eliminating them as quickly as possible using the tactics employed so far. After defeating them all, you'll automatically end up in Udina's office, completing the mission, which leads to the girl you saved joining your team. This allows you to return to the council to prove Saren's guilt. After making your case, complete any open side quests, then return to the CSec Academy to shop and meet Udina and Captain Anderson, who have reached the Alliance spaceport. Once there, Anderson will hand over the keys to the Normandy, aboard which you'll undertake three missions. The first, and most beneficial, as it allows you to add a new member to the team, involves finding and rescuing Liara T'Soni.

GALAXY

Before reaching the Artemis Tau system, and especially between missions, take the time to talk to your squadmates on the Normandy. This will allow you to learn more about their backgrounds and even develop friendships or romances, depending on how your relationships with them evolve. Fly to the Artemis Tau system, then head to the Knossos system and land on Therum, saving as soon as your ship touches down. Once you disembark, eliminate the couple of Geth Armatures from a distance. These enemies are equipped with shields and cannons but are fortunately very slow, allowing you to dodge their shots easily and take them down, albeit not too quickly. After dealing with them, proceed along the path until you find the refinery. Avoid the front entrance to avoid being shredded by turrets and go to the right to access a small corridor that will allow you to bypass the gate without too much trouble. Clear the base, though it won’t be easy to get rid of all the enemies, then search the building for objects and the switch needed to exit. Continue advancing through the planet, taking out enemies from afar and recharging your shields if their effectiveness diminishes too much.

Once you leave your vehicle, proceed slowly through the canyon, taking out any enemies ready to ambush you and keeping all your squad members close. After clearing the area, save your game, but be prepared for a severe ambush up ahead. You will be attacked by an army of Geth descending from the sky, forcing you to find cover immediately. Move to the left to find a series of environmental objects, including a building and metal plates, which will provide cover. Order your squad to hide under the first, while you position yourself behind the second, popping out only to shoot at the Geth snipers in the distance. One hit from their cannon is enough to end you, so be very cautious and always stay in cover. Keep fighting until the small army is destroyed, then enter the cave and take the elevator down to meet Liara. Accept her request for help, then hide somewhere to avoid the Geth below. After killing them, descend further and explore the area to find containers and lockers full of weapons. Activate the mine laser, then enter the structure to free Liara from her prison. Take the elevator up to face the Krogan Battlemaster and his Geth allies, who should be eliminated using tech and biotic attacks. Once they are all defeated, you can finally return to the ship with Liara and start getting to know her or deepen your relationships with her and the other squad members. Then, choose the mission that will take you to Feros to investigate the recent Geth attack.

Reach the planet, land, save, and then talk to David Al Talaqani at the spaceport, who will tell you to chat with the colony leader, Fai Dan. Quickly dispose of the Geth that appear in the area, then after eliminating them, head to the camp where the remaining colonists reside. Before speaking with Fai Dan, look around the camp for objects and quests. After chatting with the colony leader, go upstairs and kill all the enemies you see. Once you reach the exclamation point, hide around the corner and try to lure the targets into your area to kill them more easily. After killing them all, explore the alcove in the distance and then return to Fai Dan. The colony leader will order you to go to the ExoGeni headquarters to find out why the Geth attacked, but not before offering you a new quest. If you want to receive additional side missions, also talk to May O'Connell, Macha Doyle, and Davin Reynolds.

To complete May’s quest, go down into the tunnels under Zhu's Hope, enter from the entrance near the elevator to the Skyway, then reach the highway to retrieve the Power Cells from the burning vehicle. Macha’s quest will be completed by recovering the large blue valves attached to the walls, and Davin’s by killing the Alpha Varren in the highway area, while Fai Dan's side mission will require you to find and deactivate the Geth transmitter, being very careful of the formidable Krogan guarding it. After completing these side quests, go up to the Skyway and take the Mako to the small hideout halfway to the ExoGeni headquarters. Chat with Hossle to receive a new mission, then talk to everyone to learn more about the disappearance of Lizbeth Baynham. Return to the Skyway and head to the headquarters, getting out of the vehicle only if you see enemies on the radar but not in front of you. These creatures are in the maintenance tunnels running under the road, where there are also several chests and boxes full of useful items. Go down, clear the area, collect what you need, and then continue to the headquarters. Once at the end of the road, shoot as many enemies as you can from the narrow opening in front of you, then try to cross it, accessing an area with chests and items that will activate an Armature positioned nearby. Eliminate it before proceeding. Look around, then drop into the hole in the ground and continue to find Lizbeth, from whom you will receive a magnetic strip to enter the building. Go back upstairs, kill the Krogan Commander, then return to the hole area and try to exit the building. A force field will prevent you from doing so, so you will have to go back to the corridor near the VI and face one of the Geth claws used to anchor the ship to the headquarters.

Destroy it, then move forward until you find two walkways that take you to the upper floor, where there are both enemies and the console Hossle asked you to use. Tinker with it a bit to receive new quests, then when you’re done, check the shuttle door controls and set the pressure between 31 and 33, using valves 5, 11, and 17. Close the other door to unlock the spaceship door, then rush downstairs to find Lizbeth and return to the Mako, where you will have to get rid of Jeong, who has strangely gone mad. Accept the anti-Thorian gas to use in combination with grenades to knock out the colonists and avoid killing them. Talk to Hossle to complete his quest, then kill the corpses that have turned into Thorian Creepers and throw grenades to knock out the remaining colonists, earning both Paragon and Renegade Points for each kill/knockout. Advance through the colony, using your fists instead of grenades if you run out, then reach the crane controls to lift the crate and clear the path to the next building. Kill the Thorian clone at the end of its speech, then find the nearby small corridor and retreat to lure the enemies closer. After clearing them all, proceed to the staircase, blow up the Thorian Neural Node, then get rid of the Creepers using Lift and Singularity abilities to separate and deal with them one by one. Continue along your path, shooting all the Neural Nodes you see and the Creepers awakened by their explosions. Once at the top of the area, proceed to the end to find the last Neural Node and meet Shiala, who will be freed from her cage. Merge your minds briefly to see what the beacon reveals, then return to the colony, buy a Haliat Armory License if needed, and then board your beloved Normandy to talk with your crew as usual. Pick up a few more quests, then access the Galaxy Map to receive a message from the council, after which you will need to go to the communications room to get a new mission titled Virmire.

Set course for Noveria, land on the planet, confirm your identity, then enter to talk to Parasini and discover that Benezia is in the area. Exit the building, proceed across the planet’s surface, and reach the port administrator, who will deny you access to the garage. The only way to enter is by completing a series of missions, so head to the main plaza to meet the merchant Opold, who will ask you to retrieve a package at the spaceport near the Normandy and bring it back to him. However, you are free to keep it and add a series of polonium rounds to your inventory. If you deliver it to the merchant, who needs to give it to someone named Inamorda, you can earn up to 500 experience points, which can be distributed among your various abilities. If you want to deliver the package to its recipient, go up to the hotel bar; otherwise, take it with you, but be ready for a possible attack from him. Upon entering the hotel, you will be approached by a character named Mallene Calis, who will ask you to perform a small espionage operation on Rafael Vargas, who is also in the bar. If the man gets nervous, he will rub the back of his neck, and at that moment, you should start pressing him on the subject without changing the topic to allow Calis to hack into his PDA. There are two ways to complete this mission: the first, which earns several Renegade Points, involves lying to Calis, giving the electronic device to Rafael, and telling your "employer" that you completed the assigned task. The second, more honest way is to use your conversational skills to charm him and achieve the desired result. Completing the mission this way will earn you a handful of Renegade Points and Credits that can be distributed among your various skills.

At this point, go to Paranisi to learn about a man named Qui'in, who is also in the hotel bar and, in theory, can help you get a pass for the garage. Before chatting with him, however, hack the security panel in the bar area to disable the Synthetic Interests security system, which will be quite useful for the upcoming mission. Qui'in has evidence proving Anoleis’s guilt, but you must retrieve it from the Synthetic Interests offices, bypassing

the security systems, to use it. Reach the offices on the lower floor, use your pass to open the door, then chat with Rafael to avoid wasting time and proceed to the central office. Save, then get ready to fight the numerous guards inside the room. When the situation is calm again, search the various desks for objects and then head to the back office, where you will find a computer and a few other items. Read the messages, disable the security systems, then open the lockers and chests. Finally, return to Qui'in, chat with him, and then bring the evidence to Parasini. Delivering the evidence to Anoleis will allow you to skip this step, but in that case, it will be much more difficult to gain entry to the garage, as you will have to eliminate everyone at Synthetic Insights, including Rafael. Once you have the pass, return to Parasini to get rid of the administrator, then go back to the hotel to receive a few more quests and access the garage. Save and then head to the planet’s surface to face the Geth stationed on the road. Move carefully so as not to fall into the void, and use the vehicle’s cannons to eliminate enemies. Once you arrive at Peak 15, eliminate the Geth from inside the Mako, saving just before getting out. As you enter, clear the initial area, then look around to find lockers and weapons boxes. At the end of the road, you will find an elevator. Activate it to find yourself on the upper floor, then proceed into the structure to find a chest.

Take the contents, then go through the door on the right and clear the room to unlock a corridor with numerous crates and a computer, which you should use to start the station's VI and gain access to all its services, such as the virtual aid and the maps showing the areas you can access. Search the room, then go back to the upper floor and take the elevator down to find another computer, which will allow you to shut down the VI. This will unlock the last elevator to continue through the building. After finding a few crates, continue along the path, taking out any remaining enemies, and eventually reach the center of the facility. Chat with Mira, then kill the creatures in the lower section. Continue to the tram station, activating the VI to get the tram moving, then proceed to Rift Station, where you will be attacked by various enemies. Clear the area, chat with the scientists, then open the nearby lockers to receive another quest. Take the elevator to the quarantine labs, where you will meet Dr. Cohen, who will need a medical kit found in the hot labs. Chat with Ventralis, who will warn you about Benezia and give you access to the hot labs. Clear them out, collect the meds, then return to Cohen. Talk to the guards to gain access to the maintenance area, then proceed along the path to the Neutron Purge console. Activate it to initiate the self-destruct sequence and fight your way to the elevator, clearing the area of enemies. After exiting, return to Ventralis, get rid of the enemies in the upper section, then save before continuing.

VERMIRE

Head to Vermire aboard your aircraft, land, and speak with the group of Salarian spies who seem to have a lot of information about Saren. Then, hop aboard the Mako and explore the planet, looking for anti-aircraft towers to deactivate, remembering that several of the suspended structures inhabited by the Geth can be explored on foot. After deactivating the turrets from the control rooms in various buildings and opening the gates that block your path, reach the Salarian camp to discover that Saren has cured the Krogan and is ready to release an army of them against you. Save your game, then talk to Wrex on the beach, but avoid ending the conversation with a shootout. Use your Charm or Intimidate skills to ensure your friend doesn't lose his temper and draw his gun. Next, talk to Kirrahe, who will help you reach the area behind Saren's building and infiltrate it quietly. However, you'll need to make another decision regarding who to send into the fort with Kirrahe. Choose whether to send Ashley or Kaidan to certain death (our advice is to avoid sending the character you're in a relationship with, for obvious reasons), sell all unnecessary items to Commander Rentola, and tamper with the nearby station to gain some upgrades. Then, talk to Kirrahe to start the mission.

Your team's main task will be to disable the anti-aircraft guns above Saren's base, but you'll also need to help Kirrahe and his men eliminate all the Geth defending the fortress. Start by heading north to the communication tower near the mission's starting point and use the machine you find there to disrupt the Geth's communications. Destroy the tower to the west and the supply device to the north, blowing up the drones that protect the area. Once you reach the laboratory entrance, check the map to notice there are entrances to the north and south. Access the beach through the gap in the guardrail, then enter through the south entrance after tampering with the controls. Proceed to the security station, where you'll need to disable the alarms in the base to make life easier for Kirrahe. Advance inside the building, access cell block B, free the Salarian from his cell, and confront him to earn Paragon Points. Explore the base before completing all your objectives, eliminate enemies in the depots and maintenance rooms to earn money, then descend to the lower-level cells to find more Salarians. After clearing the area, ascend to the laboratory using the elevator, take out Dr. Droyas, then head to the security office to meet Rana Thanoptis, the building administrator. Once she opens the passage to the communication tower, take the elevator up to have another vision and an intriguing conversation. Then, descend again to the security office, head outside the base to look for crates near the stairs, and reach the Security Control room to deactivate the first anti-aircraft turret. Take the elevator up, proceed to the trench to meet Ashley, and save before entering another elevator.

Prepare for yet another difficult decision. You'll need to choose whether to go ahead and protect Kaidan or go back to save Ashley. The character you choose will be the one who survives, and the difficulty of the fight will vary depending on which one you decide to save. After facing a series of enemies, you'll have your first encounter with Saren. He's quite strong, but fortunately not impossible to defeat, as the battle will be three against one. Hit him using abilities like Overload, Sabotage, and anything else that can deal significant damage, then try to finish him off completely with your weapons. You won't be able to kill him, but his retreat will allow you to escape from Vermire before the atomic bomb goes off, erasing the planet from the universe. Then, return to the Normandy, have a chat with Kirrahe's men, who should be in the Engineering section, and buy any needed items from Rentola. After completing this section, you'll need to return to the Citadel.

CITADEL TRIP

After completing the four main missions, you will automatically be transported to the Citadel. Unfortunately, the Normandy will be locked down, and no one can leave the station until you have completed all the assigned objectives. Head to Flux, dance with Doran for some fun, and then talk to Anderson, who will offer to lift the blockade on the ship but will need some advice on how to do it. His task will be to access Udina's computer and remove the lockdown order, risking his life in the process. This is why your help is needed. After unlocking your ship, you will end up talking to a reporter who will ask you a series of questions. Use your Charm and Intimidate skills to answer appropriately, remembering that you are not obliged to mention Saren's name in your conversation. After completing this side mission, go to the financial district and have a chat with Rebekah and Michael, convincing them to choose between the two possible options. Either choice is fine, so pick the one you prefer.

Then head to the access corridor to the Wards and approach a guy named Zabaleta, who will claim to be an old friend of your mother's and ask for 20 credits to buy something to eat. Give him the money if you want, then return to the Normandy and enter the communications room to call your mother and ask if there was any truth in Zabaleta's words. Your mother will confirm the man's story and ask you to take him to the VA office for treatment. If you haven't left for Ilos yet, you can tackle this quest; otherwise, you will have to complete it later. Then head to the Wards to receive a request for help from Charles Saracino in the upcoming elections. Listen to what he has to say, his ideas and plans, then accept or decline his offer. Once you leave Flux, you will meet Elias Keeler, who will ask you to buy a stimulant for him at the Wards clinic, which will earn you experience but no points. However, if you buy him a depressant medicine, you will gain a fair amount of experience points.

ILOS

After completing your adventure in the Citadel, set off for Ilos, but before landing, choose who your love interest will be. Then head to Saren's base, which is of course on the planet. After landing, head south into the plaza, being very careful not to disturb the two Geth Armatures in the area. If you can't avoid them, be prepared to attack and kill them, then go down the ramp to reach the Lower Ruins and tinker with the computer called Armature Control to deactivate all the enemies of this type present in the level. Continue south, cross the courtyard, and take the elevator at the end of the path. Once at the bottom, enter the Armature Room, hiding behind one of the staircases on the left or right, using it as cover from the numerous Geth in the area. You could also try to enter one of the Armature Repair Bays to turn the enemies to your side, but it's not recommended. After clearing the area, reach the security chamber and open the panel to unlock the passage to the archives, a room crowded with several Geth, fortunately quite weak. Dispose of the group of enemies, proceed to the force field, and get out of the Mako. Then enter the door and the nearby elevator. After a long conversation with Vigil, the search for Saren will resume, and you will have to cross the trenches under the archives to reach the already activated conduit at the end. Return to where you left the Mako and talk to Avina, always remembering that your goal is to reach the elevator near the starting point to use it. Get rid of all the enemies in the maintenance conduit, then enter the scattered turrets in the area to sabotage them. Be quick, as this will give you the opportunity to shoot at the enemy ship using the powerful turrets, a highly recommended solution since the vessel is really hard to blow up.

Once at the Exterior Defense Grid, try to dodge the turrets along the long trench to the east or blow them up to gain a lot of experience. Then use the panel in the southeast corner of the Grid to return inside the Citadel. Head to the tower in the council area, get rid of all the Geth blocking your way to the building, and prepare to face Saren once and for all, but save your game first. If your Charm or Intimidate skills are at maximum level, you can even convince the boss to shoot himself in the head, which is very useful if you're playing on a difficulty higher than Normal. If you can't talk him into it, you will have to fight him, and the battle will be quite tough as Saren deals a lot of damage with his gun, is very fast, and is well-protected by shields and armor. Before the fight begins, use abilities like Sabotage and Damping to prevent him from attacking your teammates, then assault him. Use Inferno or Polonium rounds to stop him from healing, deplete his shields with Overload, and have the other party members absorb damage if you're having trouble. Don't use biotic attacks as the boss is immune to them; just keep shooting him until he falls after a few minutes. Gather all the loot he drops, but don't expect anything special as it's just level 2 items. At this point, save your game, decide whether to listen to the council or ignore their pleas for help, then prepare to fight Saren again, who will revive and attempt to kill you once more. The boss will start jumping from wall to wall and even the ceiling, making it a real challenge to stop him. On Veteran difficulty, fortunately, Saren is not immune to biotic or tech attacks, so you can use Lift to incapacitate him for a few seconds, immediately unleashing your firepower on him to destroy him. Deplete his shields to make your attacks more effective. His protections will quickly recharge, allowing him to jump to the ceiling and fire rockets at you, forcing you to hide behind the only pillar in the room if you want to avoid them. Heal frequently and continue with this strategy to eliminate him for good and finish the game.