Who is the observer in mass effect 2

Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes the entire original Mass Effect trilogy and its DLCs. As a result, gamers who buy the remaster have access to the Lair of the Shadow Broker. This DLC pack brings Liara, who is not present throughout the length of Mass Effect 2, together with Shepard to Illium so they may start searching for the elusive information dealer known only as the Shadow Broker. Now, all players need to do is discover who Mass Effect 2’s Observer is.

Who is the Observer in Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker

During the Lair of the Shadow Broker, players will take the mission “Investigate the Observer”. In this quest, Shepard will try to discoverthe identity of one of the Broker’s top operatives.

Liara’s aide Nyxeris will provide several individuals who they think to be the Observer at the outset of the quest. Shepard will go through data records sealed behind firewalls to obtain the knowledge required.

Who the Observer is in Mass Effect 2’s storyline may or may not ever be revealed, depending on the number of evidence players gather.

Unfortunately, the information acquired about the Observer does not match any of the suspects. Shepard will discover this after properly decrypting the Data Points. In the last Data Point, gamers will discover that the gender of the Observer is female. None of the suspects are women, which means something is wrong. So, you will go to Liara and tell her that none of the suspects fit the memo.

After Shepard tells Liara this info, the Observer is revealed to be Nyxeris.

Observer Discovery Aftermath

Upon learning of Nyxeris’ betrayal, Liara will immediately put an end to her. She will praise her talent but remark that she should have trained using her barriers more. If the data could not be adequately decrypted, the false information would result in the senseless killing of one of the suspects. Nyxeris would go unnoticed. If Liara leaves for home before one of these things happens, Nyxeris will leave the frame and will never come back.

As Mass Effect 2’s Observer, Nyxeris raises another issue, and that is what her instructions were. It seems that she would want to maintain her superior’s (The Shadow Broker) standing for as long as possible. It was clear that Liara’s plan to kill the Broker posed a threat to that objective. However, Liara is still alive in Mass Effect 3. It does not matter if the player finds Nyxeris guilty or not.

Now that you know who the elusive Observer actually is in Mass Effect 2, here is some Mass Effect content you might be interested in:

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You can start this mission after finishing Illium: Liara: System Hacking… or rather, technically this is the second half of the same mission, although the name will change after hacking three target terminals. In any event, after completing the aforementioned mission, talk to Liara again and she’ll ask you to hack more terminals to recover some data fragments, which she hopes will lead her to an agent of the Shadow Broker.

(1 of 3) Find various terminals and hack them,

This mission is very similar to the last one, save after hacking a terminal, you won’t have to play a game of hot/cold to find a vulnerable terminal. Just be sure to seek out and hack all five target terminals and decline to call Liara until you’ve hacked all five. No sense in making decisions until you have all the information on-hand.

Data Fragment Terminals¶

• From Liara’s Office head downstairs and search the corner opposite a door.
• In the Trading Floor area, search the kiosk west of the Serrice Technology kiosk.
• In the Trading Floor area, search the northern-most kiosk, where a volus and asari are scheming about stocks.
• In the Trading Floor area, head east of the Serrice Technology kiosk and search the large monitor.
• In the Eternity Bar, search a terminal near the bar.

Unmasking the Observer¶

Once you’ve gathered all five data fragments, call Liara (you can do this by re-examining one of the terminals you hacked) and call Liara. Pick the option “None of the suspects fit.” and Liara will deduce who The Observer is. Return to Liara for a reward: 40 (50) XP and 5,000 credits.

Page 2

This mission is one of the three new recruitment dossiers you’ll acquire after completing the mission on Horizon. To start it, you’ll need to land on Illium and talk to Liara, who will tell you about Thane and Samara. The former is your focus at the moment. After talking to Liara, head to the Shipping and Cargo area on Illium and talk to an asari named Seryna, who will kindly take you to the mission area.

You’ll be facing mechs and Eclipse mercenaries during this mission, so you’ll need… well, a bit of everything honestly. The ability to take down barriers is probably more important than shields this time around, and while much of the fighting will be midrange combat inside a building, there are also quite a few segments where a sniper rifle will come in handy. Miranda, as usual, is a solid choice for her abilities, while Garrus and Grunt are good secondary choices for their ammo powers and weapon loadouts (ensure Garrus/Grunt have the Mattock assault rifle or the Geth Plasma Shotgun equipped, if possible).

(1 of 2) Talk to Seryna on Illium to start this mission,

Talk to Seryna on Illium to start this mission, (left), but be wary, as youll immediately be attacked by mechs. (right)

As soon as the introduction sequence ends, take cover behind the door frames in front of you and kill the pair of FENRIS Mechs and their LOKI Mech pals. Inside, look in the room to the left for a Med Kit and a hackable Terminal . Exit back to the previous room and enter the right-hand area. You will find an injured salarian worker (talk with him for a Renegade/Paragon option). After the conversation, enter the newly opened door and cruise along the long hallway to the left.

Upon entering the next room you will come across a group of 5-6 mercenaries, a few LOKI Mechs and a FENRIS Mech or two. Clear the area from cover and use your sniper rifle to hit another group of mechs that are visible through the left-hand exit at the back of the room. Kill them as they enter before taking their position in the next room. When you reach the area they were standing, turn to the left and you will see a good number of LOKI Mechs, Eclipse Troopers and a few Vanguards (barrier troopers) around. Once again, watch out for the occasional FENRIS Mech. As you clear the immediate area reinforcements will appear to take their place.

(1 of 2) Perform a Paragon interrupt to help an injured salarian.

Perform a Paragon interrupt to help an injured salarian. (left), The tower is crawling with Eclipse mercs, the most dangerous of which are Vanguards, who use biotics and come defended by barriers. (right)

After clearing the room, make your way around the pit in the center and into the hallway at the far end. This will trigger another group of Eclipse mercenaries and mechs to attack. Fight your way through these enemies and into the door at the end of the corridor. Climb the ramp and exit onto the next floor.

Pick up the Med Kits to the right if you require them before heading out the door on the left. Take cover here and wait a few moments for a group of Eclipse Troopers and mechs to enter from the opposite side of the area. Kill them all and wait a little bit longer for a few more reinforcements. When the shooting stops, it will now be safe to mosey forward and through the door. Move to the other exit from this room and use it to peek out into the hallway. This area is a nice bottle neck where enemies will pretty much have to run at you one at a time with limited cover. You should eliminate 5 - 6 Eclipse Troopers, several mechs and an Eclipse Vanguard before you consider moving on.

When no more enemies are forthcoming, run down the short hallway until it opens into a slightly larger room. Use the cover directly in front of you to clear the remaining hostiles from the area. Move up to the next piece of cover and repeat the process with the group of reinforcements that enter from the back left side of the area. Before reaching the open doorway at the end, look in an alcove to the right to find a Med Kit. Head inside the next open room and use the doorframe to the left as cover from which to attack the enemies in the room beyond.

(1 of 2) Snag the Viper Sniper Rifle,

After this area is clear, work your way around the pit to the left to the opposite side of the area. Cruise down the hallway until you reach the dead end to find a new weapon, the M-97 Viper Sniper Rifle , a hackable terminal and a box of power cells. Return down the hallway and at the end, look to the left for a locked door. Bypass the security on the door here for a conversation with another group of Salarian workers (talk with them for Renegade/Paragon options). After they have departed, grab the Med Kit and check out the secure Terminal for some credits. Exit and find the unlocked door opposite the pit in the main area.

Activate the door, and then take cover as your team mates suggest, as the elevator behind the door isn’t coming down empty. Inside is a Krogan Bounty Hunter (shields + armor) and a pair of Eclipse Engineers. After they are dead, enter the elevator and ride it up.

(1 of 2) You can perform a Renegade interrupt to help an Eclipse mercenary get his wings,

You can perform a Renegade interrupt to help an Eclipse mercenary get his wings, (left), then grab a PDA off the floor, which youll need to complete an assignment. (right)

When the elevator stops you’ll catch an Eclipse Trooper on his own. Poor guy. He’s defiant, and you’ll get a Renegade interrupt - two things that conspire to bring about the mercenary’s demise. Afterwards, pick up a Datapad, which you’ll need to complete the assignment [Illium: The Assassin: Salarian Family Data] then enter either door flanking the elevator.

As you enter, take cover behind the stack of metal tiles and shoot at the inactive LOKI and FENRIS Mech nearby. This will alert the enemies in the next room who will come to reinforce the area. They consist mainly of standard Eclipse Troopers, LOKI Mechs and a single Engineer. After they have done their dash, look on the left-hand wall for another locked door. Bypass the door here for another conversation with more Salarian workers (another Renegade/Paragon option here).

Hit a Renegade interrupt to pacify a jumpy salarian, (left), and after some fighting, grab a Submachine Gun Damage upgrade. (right)

Afterwards pick up the Med Kit and loot the Eclipse merc corpse for some credits . Exit and follow the wall, turn left at the next corner. You can use the communication terminal here to taunt Thane’s target if you wish and you might also like to pick up the box of power cells next to it. Continue up the ramp.

On the top floor here you will have to kill a pair of mechs and a group of three Eclipse Vanguards. Once they are down for the count, head over to the opposite side of the room towards the exit. Pick up the canister of Refined Eezo and the Med Kit here before exiting onto a balcony area.

Take cover right away and hold off the troopers, LOKI Mechs and Vanguards from this position. You will also at this point have to get rid of an Eclipse Commando (trooper with armor and a barrier). Fight your way to the corner and look on the ground here for a Submachine Gun Damage research project. Examine the corpse for some credits and grab the Med Kit if you need it before dropping down the nearby ledges.

You will now find yourself on a bridge linking the two towers. Immediately take cover and fight your way from cover to cover through the various LOKI Mechs, Vanguards and Troopers until you reach the other end. About half way across the bridge, a pair of Rocket Turrets will appear in windows above your destination, so take out your sniper rifle to pop them with a few rounds when you feel it is safe to do so. As the squad reaches the far end, a group of enemies will appear on the platform above you and fire down at your position. Kill as many as you can, then maneuver Shepard forward and up the stairs. Mop up any remaining resistance and take cover as an Eclipse Commando (Vanguard with a barrier and heavy armor) will exit from the nearby hallway. When she is dead, enter the unlocked door to complete the mission.

ME2: Successfully recruit the Assassin

Thane completes his mission, and joins your squad.

Page 3

This mission is one of the three new recruitment dossiers you’ll acquire after completing the mission on Horizon. To start it, you’ll need to land on Illium and talk to Liara, who will tell you about Thane and Samara. The former is your focus at the moment. After talking to Liara, head to the southern-most section of Illium and talk to Officer Dara, who will tell you about Samara and tell you how to reach the Justicar. You can even opt to start this mission during the conversation, if you wish. Failing that, head over to the nearby Taxi Stand to take a cab to start the mission.

(1 of 3) Talk to Officer Dara to learn Samaras wherabouts,

When you arrive, talk to the volus named Pitne For to gain some intel on what’s happening in this dank sector of Illium. He’ll ultimately refer you to Detective Anaya, so enter the nearby police station and talk to the asari, who provides you even more information. Following the conversation, exit the station and turn left. Make your way over to the glowing blue police tape marking the entrance to the crime scene.

(1 of 2) Search a terminal for some Shipping Details,

Enter the back alley and be sure to look out for a Shipping Details console and upload its contents, which will start (and all but complete) the assignment [Illium: The Justicar: Stolen Goods Found]. With that done, head forward to the end of the alley and down the stairs to salvage some circuit boards , then head up the nearby stairs. Turn right and immediately take cover – there is a large squad of Asari Eclipse mercenaries backed up by a few LOKI mechs ahead. Kill them all off and then head through the door blocked by police tape on the left to meet Samara.

(1 of 2) Chastise Ptine For for lying to you, and gain what information you can from the shifty volus,

Chastise Ptine For for lying to you, and gain what information you can from the shifty volus, (left), after which Samara will give her ultimatum: Shell allow herself to be detained for a day, but no longer. (right)

You will now need to find out the information Samara is after and will regain control back in the area outside of the police station. Chat with Pitne For (during this conversation you can perform a Renegade action).

(1 of 2) Toxic cansisters are a feature of this mission - theyll boost your biotics, but are fatal over time.

Toxic cansisters are a feature of this mission - theyll boost your biotics, but are fatal over time. (left), Sniper rifles and other long-range options are very handy during this mission. (right)

After the conversation you will be given a key to enter the Eclipse base. Use the now active elevator nearby. As you reach the bottom, kill the LOKI mech waiting there to ambush you. Exit and head through the door on the left.

There is a toxic chemical in the air in this area that will damage you. The red clouds of gas are toxic and it is stored in containers that will explode if shot. You can use the bar at the bottom of the screen to determine the level of danger. Move away from the clouds if the bar fills too much!

There are a number of Eclipse Vanguards and LOKI mechs in here. In addition there is a toxic chemical in the air that will damage you if you stay in it for too long. Enter the room, and stay clear of the red clouds of toxins. You can use the bar at the bottom of the screen to determine the level of danger. If it is full, you should move ASAP. Kill the enemies that enter the room through the door at the rear of the area, before entering it yourself.

(1 of 2) You can perform a Renegade interrupt to put down a scheming merc,

You can perform a Renegade interrupt to put down a scheming merc, (left), after which be sure to grab a Biotic Damage upgrade. (right)

Open the door across the room from where you entered and chat with the Asari mercenary here. You can perform a Renegade interrupt during the conversation or let her go for some Paragon/Renegade points. When she is gone, salvage the thermal clips and use the console nearby for a Biotic Damage research project . Exit the room and ascend the stairs to the right and open the door at the top.

(1 of 3) Fight through numerous Eclipse mercenaries and their pet mechs.

Turn left and eliminate the mercenaries and the mech in front of you before exiting into a open area. Fight your way through the Initiates and Vanguards to your right. As you head inside the next door another group of mercenaries will attack. Kill them and continue to the end of the hallway here to find a Med Station and a hackable Eclipse terminal . Return to where the previous enemies entered from and climb the stairs here. At the top, turn right and take cover. Eliminate the hostiles in front and stay in cover as there are a pair of heavy troops near the far wall who will fire rockets your way frequently. Kill them and then work your way over to their location and into the door on the left. There is another medical station here and another Eclipse terminal you can interact with for credits. Climb the stairs in front.

At the top, take cover behind the wall to the right and eliminate the two Vanguards at the end of the hallway in front of you. Move to their position and slowly make your way into the next room. Climb the stairs on the left side of the room and use the elevated position to take out the various baddies scattered about the room.

(1 of 3) Keep an eye out for the Scimitar Assault Shotgun.

Enter the room in the back right corner, pillage said room for thermal clips and a Med Kit, then check the datalog on the computer nearby to find out who was responsible for the murder. Finally check out the table just to the right inside the door for a new weapon, the M-27 Scimitar Assault Shotgun. Continue through the hallways until you reach another open area.

As you exit, kill the LOKI mechs in front and move to the far end to salvage the box of thermal clips. Turn to the left and you will see another similar platform a little way ahead separated by a small bridge. As you are about halfway across this bridge, a gunship will appear. It has a chain gun and a rocket launcher which it will use to attack you and will occasionally fly between the two platforms either side of the bridge. Take cover on the side you entered from and shoot at it until it flies over to your location. When it settles over your position, retreat into the previous hallway and take cover, popping out to shoot it when it is safe to do so.

Watch out during the fight as occasionally a FENRIS Mech or two will come to find you whilst you are focused on the vehicle. When the gunship blows up, cruise across the bridge, pick up the Med Kit on the right wall and then bypass the door nearby.

(1 of 2) Grab a Shipping Manifest,

Inside the room use the consoles on the left to gain key material for the assignment Illium: The Justicar: Smuggling Evidence, then open the other console for credits . Continue through the doorway and talk to the volus Niftu Cal here. He will tell you the leader of the Eclipse sisters Wasea is in the next room between bouts of delusions of grandeur. You can perform a Paragon action during this conversation or let him go and confront Wasea with his galaxy-breaking biotics - it’ll get you some Paragon/Renegade points, but otherwise doesn’t affect the upcoming fight.

When you are ready, enter the next door to fight Wasea. Wasea is a biotic and has armor and a shield. You will need to take these down before you can really sink the boot in. She will throw crates of the toxin at you, so be sure to avoid it where possible and change cover often to stay safe.

As the fight drags on, she will summon a good number of Eclipse Initiates to attack. Stay behind cover close to the entrance and fight her off until she retreats up the stairs at the back of the room. At this point clean up the Initiates in the immediate area, and then slowly work your way forward between cover and use her desk as cover to kill her at the top of the stairs. When she falls, clean up the rest of the baddies and hack the Eclipse console near the desk. Once done, pick Wasea’s datapad up off the table to return to the Space Port.

(1 of 3) You can sell the Shipping Manifest to Pitne For,

Before entering the police station, you can talk to Pitne For and give him the smuggling evidence you found in the Eclipse base for some Renegade points and a small sum of money, or alternatively you can hold onto it for some Paragon points in a moment.

Enter the police station and talk to Samara to complete the mission. Before returning to the Normandy though, talk to Detective Anaya and give her the evidence about the murder and if you did not give the smuggling evidence to Pitne For outside, you can give it to Anaya now for some Paragon points and a small sum of credits. Return to the Normandy to complete the mission.

You will gain more money if you give the evidence to Pitne For instead of Detective Anya.

ME2: Successfully recruit the Justicar

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This mission is one of the three new recruitment dossiers you’ll acquire after completing the mission on Horizon, and the only one that doesn’t require you to travel to Illium. Instead, to start this mission you need merely travel to Dholen system in the Far Rim cluster and land on planet Haestrom to start the mission.

When you deploy, pick characters with useful skills against synthetics. Garrus and Miranda are useful due to Overload, while Zaeed will prove useful due to his Disruptor Ammo. Most of your foes will deploy shields, but you’ll also see armor, so characters like Mordin, Thane and Samara can also prove useful.

(1 of 2) Exposure to direct sunlight will damage your shields. It cant kill you, but it is a hazard.

Exposure to direct sunlight will damage your shields. It cant kill you, but it is a hazard. (left), Youll almost exclusively be fighting geth this mission - use the appropriate ammo and weapons to deal with synths. (right)

When you arrive you’ll be treated to a scene showing off this mission’s unique hazard: the sun has grown wildly unstable to the point that exposing yourself to direct sunlight will deplete your shields. This won’t actually inflict health damage and can’t kill you, but if your build heavily relies on shields - like the Vanguard - it can make combat more dangerous. Soldiers, on the other hand, will be less affected. Still, it’ll force you to not only avoid enemy fire, but stick to shaded areas as much as possible, which complicates combat somewhat.

When you are ready to start, run all the way down the hill, being sure to sprint through the sunny spots. At the bottom, enter the door to the right. Grab the Med Kit and loot the damaged Geth . Use the switch to open the gate to the next area.

Walking through the gate you will see a dropship unloading Geth into the area. Run up to the cover in front of the gate and take out the first group of Geth troopers. Continue onwards a short way and you will run into a few more Geth. After killing these guys, you should just about be at the next sunny area. Run and take cover in the shade behind the block in the middle of the sunny zone. If you follow the blocks shadow to the right, you will find a small passageway with a Heavy Pistol Damage upgrade and a ramp leading up.

At the top of the ramp, turn to the right and exit onto a balcony type area. Follow it to the right and destroy the large number of Geth that are up here. Work your way to the end of the walkway, but instead of going down the ramp, take cover in the corner furthest to the left and eliminate the enemies in the area below. After they have been killed, run straight down the right side of the ramp and into cover behind the stone block. From here, lean out and look to the left and towards the sun. See the green canister? That’s some Refined Iridium that you can grab if you feel the need.

Afterwards, head across the next sunny strip and into the building behind. Follow the passageway around the corner and kill the group of Geth. Examine the dead Geth Hunter and pick up a new weapon - the M-9 Tempest Submachine Gun - from the ground nearby. Activate the Quarian radio to start a conversation.

(1 of 4) A pillar will block your way forward, and for some reason, your squad is incapable of just… climbing over it.

Following the scene, quickly run up and enter cover; eliminate the Geth Troopers and the Hunter that come to get you and then make your way to the obstruction in front of the building from the cutscene. To remove this, you will need to retrieve a pair of demo charges. One is in the small garage-type area directly across from the door, and the second charge is in another building on the far side of the large open area to the right.

Enter the building across from the obstruction and clear out the Geth inside. There are numerous Troopers and Hunters in here, and they’ll keep spawning until you occupy the building, so the safer you play it, the more fighting you’ll have to do. When the room is empty, check the desk at the back for an entry in Tali’s journal and the first set of demolition charges. Behind this desk is a Med Kit, and a further Med Kit can be found on the wall at the top of the nearby stairs. As you attempt to return outside, a group of Geth will be dropped off. In addition to your standard Geth Troopers, you will also have your first encounter with a Geth Prime. These guys are big, tough Geth that have a shield over armor and can summon a small, floating attack drone; to defeat it, simply use whatever squad powers you have at your disposal that are good at shield/armor removal. When all these Geth have been dealt with, return outside and turn to the left.

(1 of 4) Fight your way under a bridge,

Take cover before descending the shallow ramp and eliminate the Destroyer and the other Geth Troopers that attempt to advance on your position. Sprint across the sunlit area and examine the box in the next shady area for Refined Iridium . Continue onward and into the open doorway at the end of the area. Pick up the demo charge, a box of thermal clips and the Med Kit here, and then return outside.

As you saw earlier, the Geth don’t appreciate you picking up demo charges and will have a large squad of various Geth types dropped into the location outside. Return to the large open area and immediately run to the left; look for a small door on the wall. Head inside and up the stairs. As you reach the top, eliminate any Geth on the balcony you can see outside the doorway, then move into the room and hit the switch to open the windows. Take cover here and use the high ground to eliminate any enemies on the ground below and any more enemies you can identify on the catwalk to the left.

When the area is relatively safe, exit from the door onto the balcony where the group of Rocket Geth had previously been attempting to take you out and sprint to the end. Take cover from the sun behind the crate here and listen to the nearby snippet of Tali’s log if you are interested. Continue down the next ramp and back to the obstruction. Plant the charges and run to a safe distance. After the explosion, enter the door.

(1 of 3) Search the room beyond the pillar to find an Assault Rifle Damage upgrade,

Once inside, look around the room. There is lots of stuff to pick up. Starting at the weapons locker, head to the right to find a Wall Safe , another of Tali’s journals on the desk, a pair of damaged Geth and a disassembled Geth rifle which will yield an Assault Rifle Damage upgrade. If you’re playing on Hardcore or Insanity difficulty, you’ll also find an Intact Pulse Rifle, which you can pick up to obtain the Geth Pulse Rifle. Find the locked door and use the communications device on the table next to it to converse with Tali.

After the conversation, open the unlocked door and pick up the Med Kit if required. Follow the passage around until it empties out into another open area. Kill the drones that appear at the entrance before entering the area. This zone is essentially one long room with several large support columns breaking it up into three paths. After entering, move forward to the first column to provoke a response from additional resident drones to come and get you. This will also activate a Geth Prime who will start moving towards your position. Follow the Geth Prime’s line of attack as he moves to the left and at each column, stop to destroy any drones that appear (and there are lots of them!). Prioritise the elimination of the drones before focusing your attacks on the Geth Prime.

After killing the first Geth Prime, you should try as much as possible to stick to the very right hand wall of the area and using the limited cover in the shade to eliminate the drones as you move towards the far end of the area. At the third set of columns, you will bump into another Geth Prime and a swarm or two of drones; execute the same strategy as before - destroy all the drones before ganging up on the Geth Prime. If it decides to come and pay you a visit, don’t be afraid to retreat a little to eliminate it from a safe distance. When it is dead, continue to move to the back wall eliminating any more drones that get in your way. At the far end, open the door.

When you enter the room use the active console in front of you to disable the security lockdown, before heading through the door to the left. Make your way down the stairs and talk to Kal’Reegar. He will tell you about the current situation and you can let him help you (Renegade) or tell him to sit out (Paragon). Once the scene is over, it’s time to get down to business.

The Geth Colossus will sit at the far end of the room firing huge energy missiles your way. You will obviously need to stay in cover to prevent a sticky plasma death whilst you take out the Geth infantry forces in the courtyard below. There are 10-12 Geth Troopers to deal with initially, but moving down the stairs will trigger another group of 5-6 to appear. Make your way to the left side and up the ramp; grab the canister of Iridium here and fight your way across the walkway through the next wave of Geth infantry. Once you have eliminated a sufficient number of troopers, a pair of Geth Destroyers will arrive.

Kill them and continue to the end of the walkway; to the right you will notice there is a small platform directly beneath the Colossus; there are two canisters of Refined Iridium here. Pick them up if you wish and then head up the ramp on the left side of the area to take on the Colossus.

At the top of the ramp, immediately take cover behind the crates here as the Colossus will start to shoot at you with a heavy machine gun in addition to its regular plasma missiles. Not satisfied with this, the Colossus will also be backed up by a seemingly endless supply of Geth Troopers who will appear from a door behind the Colossus and continue to advance on your position. Try to ignore the infantry unless it is a Destroyer (focus fire on these immediately) or if they get too close and in the meantime, focus all of your efforts on the Colossus. After it falls, return to the left side of the courtyard by Kal’Reegar and look for a canister of Refined Iridium and pick up any other items laying around that you may have been too busy to grab during the fight before heading into the door behind the Colossus.

Examine the dead Geth on the floor here and move to the back of the room to speak with Tali to complete the mission.

ME2: Successfully recruit the quarian

Page 5

The next core mission after Horizon is the Collector Ship, although this fact is obfuscated somewhat by the fact that Collector Ship will only start up after some rather obscure conditions are met. For the sake of simplicity, however, assume you’re on a countdown, and after completing a variable number of recruitment and/or loyalty missions the core mission Collector Ship will start, at which point you’ll be forced to deal with it. This doesn’t have immediate endgame implications - you’ll have time to finish up whatever outstanding missions you have left after dealing with the Collector Ship - but be wary that every mission you complete after Horizon could trigger the Collector Ship mission.

A derelict Collector Ship is too tempting for Cerberus to ignore.

Once you’ve completed a sufficient (and perhaps variable) number of recruitment/loyalty missions, you’ll be drawn into a meeting with the Illusive Man after interacting with the Galaxy Map. Head into the “Briefing/Comm Room” and during your chat you’ll be informed of your new objective - investigate an apparently damaged Collector ship.

(1 of 2) Examine a Control Terminal,

Examine a Control Terminal, (left), to unlock Weapon Training, granting you access to a new weapon, or a new type of weapon. (right)

After chatting with the Illusive Man, you will be automatically whisked away to the damaged Collector ship. Pick your squad (Collectors typically possess barriers and armor, so prepare accordingly - you can’t really go wrong with Miranda) and when you regain control of Shepard you will be on the inside of the monstrosity. Start off down the hallway and as you circle around to the right, look for an examinable pod. Continue until you reach the pile of dead bodies. Investigate this for a scene. Continue into the nearby corridor. Keep your eye on the right-hand wall and you will find some Collector Technology (examining this will give you a choice of three weapons) and a Med Kit.

The Collector Technology is by far the most important thing about this mission. Generous it’s at the start! After examining it, you’ll be presented with three weapon options: Assault Rifle training, Shotgun training or Sniper Rifle training. If you already have access to one of these weapon types and pick the same weapon again (for example, a Vanguard picks Shotgun Training) you’ll acquire a new weapon of that type: the Revenant assault rifle, the Claymore shotgun or the Widow sniper rifle. If you pick a weapon type you do not already have access to, you’ll gain proficiency in that weapon type, but you will not otherwise gain one of the three aforementioned weapons.

The best option here varies heavily based on Shepard’s class and your own playstyle. Check out the various builds for detailed recommendations, but it’s awfully hard to argue against picking up the Widow as an Infiltrator, Revenant as a Soldier, or adding the Mattock via Assault Rifle Training as any other class.

Pree on to the next room and examine a terminal for another scene. Afterwards pick up the box of Power Cells and the canister of Refined Eezo before continuing onward.

In the next room follow the ramps to the top. In front you will see some salvageable Collector Technology . Grab this and continue to the left. As you enter the next room examine the console in front of you for a new Research Project (Damage Protection) .

(1 of 2) Pick up a Damage Protection upgrade.

Pick up a Damage Protection upgrade. (left), On some moving platforms youll be confronted by numerous Collectors, the worst of which are Scions. Incinerate, Reave and Warp will serve you well, especially if you keep a gap between you and the Scion. (right)

Follow the ramp on the left to the top and take the path to the right and down the hill. At the bottom you will find a command console. Activate this for a scene.

Following the scene, you will be on a small floating platform with a limited amount of space with which to maneuver. Conveniently, the platform comes with plenty of cover. As soon as the cutscene ends, you should be able to spot another pair of platforms identical to the one you are on flying towards you. Take cover. The closest platform will attach to yours and carry a pair of Drones and a Guardian. One of these will be taken over by Harbinger. The second platform will move from the left side to the right and back intermittently and is inhabited by a Scion. Be sure to stay in cover and move to new cover or the Scion’s shockwave attack will smash you pretty quickly. Try to take down the enemies closest to you as soon as possible, and then focus on the Scion.

As you are killing the Scion, another platform with Drones will come in on the left side and attack, and after you have killed the Scion another platform will appear with a second. This time, focus on destroying the Scion before eliminating the Collectors. Keep in mind that a fourth platform of Collectors will dock during this time complete with an Assassin, Harbinger and a Guardian or two. Once the Scion is down, methodically take care of the rest of the baddies. After the platforms have been cleared, check out the furthest one from the command console to find a box of Power Cells . Return to the platform you started on and re-activate the console for another scene.

Once the scene has concluded, descend from the platform and cruise up the tunnel; continue round the corner, picking up the Med Kit and entering the door EDI opens for you on the right. Salvage the Collector Technology from the tank on the left and continue into the room in front. As you enter, a group of four Drones will fly in from your right (one will become Harbinger). Take them out and then continue down the ramp in the back left corner of the room.

At the bottom of the ramp, quickly take cover as you will be attacked by a group of Collectors composed of Guardians, Drones and Harbinger. More enemies will try to sneak in from the ramp on the left (notably a pair of Assassins toting the nasty Particle Beam weapon) and some additional Collectors will drop down from a higher ledge on the right. Once the room is clear head to the far side to find a box of Power Cells; check out the small passage behind the support here for a Med Kit and a canister of Refined Eezo.

(1 of 3) The Praetorians lasers will keep you honest,

Find the passage leading out of the room and drop down to the area below. Move inside and a Praetorian will appear. This enemy functions in pretty much the same way as it did on Horizon earlier in the game. As before it will float around relatively slowly firing off its laser beam attack and performing ground slams when in close proximity to your squad members. This time though, the Praetorian is not alone: a group of Husks will enter from the door at the back left of the room, followed by a group of Collector Drones. The trick here is to kite the Praetorian around the room whilst taking out the other enemies from cover. When the lesser baddies stop appearing, focus your full attention on the Praetorian and take it down.

Once the Praetorian is dead, pick up the box of Power Cells if you haven’t already and then exit through the door at the far end of the room.

In the next hallway turn right, salvage the Collector Technology on the left for some credits and check out the control terminal on the right for a new Research Project (Tech Damage) . Follow the hallway until it empties into a larger room. Run up and take cover. You will be ambushed by a group of Drones (one will become Harbinger) and an Assassin. On occasion an Abomination (exploding Husk) will run down to try and pop itself next to you so be absolutely certain to kill them before they get too close or it will be almost certain death.

Once the initial wave of enemies have been dealt with, move up to the next set of cover and destroy the Guardians and Drones (again one will become Harbinger) at the back of the area. Once you reach the tunnel at the far end, you will encounter a Scion and another group of Drones. Eliminate these guys and continue into the tunnel beyond.

(1 of 3) Grab a Tech Upgrade.

Follow the path until you encounter a large group of Husks; your goal here is to escape, not necessarily to kill everything along the way. If you put up a fight, you can expect to battle around two dozen Husks, which will show up at regular intervals. So long as you hang back you should have plenty of time to pick them off, or you could try your luck and run past them. Either way, when you approach the shuttle you’ll complete the mission.

ME2: Complete the investigation of a derelict alien vessel

The Normandy escapes the Collector Ship.

After you’re back on the Normand - and have safely escaped from the Collectors - you’ll have a chat with the Illusive Man. Paragon or Renegade, Shepard’s not too happy about being used as bait and being lied to, but you at least got what you needed: intel. Seems you need to track down a Reaper IFF to travel safely through the Omega 4 Relay, and fortunately the Illusive Man knows where you might find one.

What you say here - and later when contemplating your next moves with your squad - don’t matter save for Paragon/Renegade points. Whether you say you plan to set off immediately after the Reaper IFF or would rather build up your squad, actions speak louder than words. Unlike many core missions, the Reaper IFF mission will not start until you go seek it out.

While you may not be keen on the Illusive Mans duplicity, he did obtain the intel you needed, setting up the next core mission - Reaper IFF.

That being the case, we strongly suggest you complete all remaining recruitment and loyalty missions before going after the Reaper IFF. Once you obtain the IFF, the next core mission will begin after a variable number of missions, and while this doesn’t directly lock you into the point of no return, your crew will suffer losses if you do not immediately continue on with the final mission. If you want to keep everybody alive, finish every other mission and assignment before going after the Reaper IFF.

Also, you should ensure you have the following upgrades before the endgame (and hence, the Reaper IFF):

• Speak With Tali to upgrade the Normandy’s shields ( Multicore Shielding ).
• Talk to Jacob for a research project to upgrade the ship’s armor ( Heavy Ship Armor ).
• You should also talk to Garrus to upgrade the Normandy’s weapon systems ( Thanix Cannon ).

When you’re ready to continue on, travel to the Thorne system in the Hawking Eta cluster to find the Derelict Reaper, where the Reaper IFF mission will take place.

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You’ll gain access to Tuchanka when you start the loyalty missions for Mordin or Grunt, which, of course, requires you to recruit Mordin and Grunt. After they’re recruited, completing a few missions should trigger their loyalty missions. This may vary a bit, but you should have access to Tuchanka after completing the mission on Horizon, at the latest.

Talk to Mordin and/or Grunt to start their loyalty missions, then travel to the Krogan DMZ, where you’ll find Tuchanka in the Aralakh system. When you arrive (your party doesn’t matter), you’ll be accosted by some krogan, who demands you speak to their leader. Despite their insistence, you’re under no real obligation to do anything if you don’t care to.

Walk down two corridors to the east and north and you’ll reach the main chamber, where pretty much everything on Tuchanka worth seeing can be found.

Ratch’s Wares¶

When you enter this chamber, immediately turn left to find Ratch, who runs a humble shop. Before you buy anything, note you can talk to Ratch about Tuchanka’s Pyjak problem - space monkeys are generally being a nuisance, and being krogan, they’ve got the most krogan solution you can imagine: blowing the monkeys up with artillery. This starts the assignment [Tuchanka: Killing Pyjaks].

The Assymetric Defense Layer and Shield Harness will only be available after the mission Collector Ship mission. The M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol are only available here if you’re playing the Legendary Edition of the game. The Pyjak Meat will only be available if you’re completed the assignment [Tuchanka: Killing Pyjaks].

Killing Pyjaks¶

You’ll start this assignment by talking to Ratch, after which head down a rubble ramp and make your way to the Chief Scout, where you’ll find a Defense Gun Controls console. Interact with it to start a minigame where you’ll have to shoot encroaching Pyjaks - a very easy minigame, just aim ahead of the Pyjaks as they approach to compensate for the travel time of your missiles. Do a satisfactory job and return to Ratch to complete this assignment and score a discount.

(1 of 2) After completing the Pyjak minigame, you can buy some meat and feed Urz,

After completing the Pyjak minigame, you can buy some meat and feed Urz, (left), which will allow you to use the varren to participate in high-stakes pit fights. (right)

Urz and the Fighting Pit¶

Near Ratch you’ll find a varren named Urz, which you can pet if you interact with it. More importantly, if you buy some Pyjak Meat from Ratch (you’ll need to complete [Tuchanka: Killing Pyjaks] before he’ll sell this) and interact with Urz, you can feed the reptile-dog, which will follow you around Tuchanka afterwards. Somewhat meaningless on its own, if you head over to the Pit Fight Gambling Station you can bet on match with Urz - either for or against Urz, winning 500 Credits each time you bet correctly. If Urz loses, you’ll have to return to the Normandy, then land on Tuchanka again, giving the varren time to recover. You can save scum credits this way, but given the duration of the fights and the low payout, you’re better off just being frugal.

(1 of 2) Talk to the Chief Scout to start the assignment Missing Scout,

Talk to the Chief Scout to start the assignment Missing Scout, (left), while talking to the Mechanic will start Combustion Manifold. (right)

Chief Scout¶

If you head down the rubble ramp and turn left you’ll find the Chief Scout. You’ll need to talk to him to travel to the site of Mordin’s Loyalty mission, and he’ll also give you the assignment Tuchanka: Old Blood: Missing Scout. Lastly, you can find the Defense Gun Controls near the Chief Scout, which will let you play the Pyjak-shooting minigame for the assignment [Tuchanka: Killing Pyjaks].

Mechanic¶

Between the Fighting Pit and the Chief Scout you’ll find a ramp leading up to a massive vehicle. Talk to the Mechanic nearby to start the assignment Tuchanka: Combustion Manifold.

Fortack’s Database¶

To the right of the Mechanic you’ll find a tent, which serves as a hospital of sort. Inside you’ll find Fortack, who is what passes as a doctor as far as krogan go. You can chat with him if you want, but the real draw is his shop. You can gain a discount by completing Grunt’s loyalty mission. While Fortack doesn’t sell much, almost everything he sells is interesting, depending on your build. It’s also tremendously expensive; buying all his wares will set you back 270,00 Credits (22,500 with a discount).

There are other interactions worth having - like meeting up with an old war buddy.

There’s more to see and do on Tuchanka - including meeting the Urdnot chief (who may be an old friend, if they survived the first game…). That said, everything else mostly boils down to opportunities to earn Paragon/Renegade points, lore, or characters related to the loyalty missions for Mordin and Grunt, which will be discussed on their own pages.

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Reaper IFF is the penultimate core mission in Mass Effect 2, and will become available immediately after you complete the Collector Ship. Fortunately, unlike many mid-to-late game core missions, you control when you start this one, and since the final core mission punishes delay, you should make absolutely sure you’ve recruited every character, earned their loyalty, completed every assignment and have purchased every upgrade. The more missions you leave incomplete, the worse you’ll perform during the final mission, and if you care about importing your save to Mass Effect 3, you’d do well to ensure you have the best possible outcomes.

(1 of 2) Make sure you talk to your companions on the Normandy to gather upgrade ideas for the Normandy,

Make sure you talk to your companions on the Normandy to gather upgrade ideas for the Normandy, (left), and be sure to expend the resources on actually implementing them - Garrus, Jacob and Tali especially have useful upgrades. (right)

Aside from completing every recruitment/loyalty mission, you should be sure to purchase the following upgrades:

• Speak With Tali to upgrade the Normandy’s shields ( Multicore Shielding ).
• Talk to Jacob for a research project to upgrade the ship’s armor ( Heavy Ship Armor ).
• You should also talk to Garrus to upgrade the Normandy’s weapon systems ( Thanix Cannon ).

There’s only one character you can’t recruit before Reaper IFF, so don’t worry about that missing spot on your roster. You’ll take care of that soon enough.

The Normandy approaches the derelict Reaper.

Anywho, when you’ve done everything you can (or care to) do, travel to the Thorne system in the Hawking Eta cluster to find the Derelict Reaper. Dock with the giant synthetic space crustacean to start this mission. For your squad, you’ll mostly be fighting Husks and Scions, so anything that can burn through armor (especially on higher difficulties, where every Husk will have an armor bar) is recommended.

Once aboard, move up and through the first door, around the first corner you will find a small lab containing two wall safes, a terminal and a work log you can check out. Further down the hallway you will find another log and a medstation if you need it. Continue down the passage to the right to watch a short scene.

(1 of 2) The derelict Reaper is full of explosive crates you can use against your foes,

The derelict Reaper is full of explosive crates you can use against your foes, (left), although traditional means work just as well. (right)

After the cut scene, you will find yourself on a catwalk of sorts, head forward and to the left for another work log and then follow the path over to the right. As you reach the explosive crates, a group of husks will attack you. Defeat them and continue down the nearby ramp. At the bottom you will encounter several more groups of husks. As the numbers are a little overwhelming, feel free to retreat back up the ramp if you start to get crowded. When they are all dead, check out the work log and continue onwards.

At the top of the ramp you will see a pair of Husks get taken out and be warned of a sniper in the area. Check the immediate area for a box of Power Cells , a canister of Refined Platinum , a new Research Project (Sniper Rifle Damage) and a Terminal that can be used to earn a few easy credits.

(1 of 3) Search a Cerberus Rifle to obtain a Sniper Rifle Damage research project.

Continue into the open area on the left until you head down a small ramp. At the bottom here, fight off the Abominations and Husks that climb up from the left and the right and the large group that charges at you from the far end of the room. Be sure to keep your eye on the Scion that appears back there as well as they can do a lot of damage in a hurry if you get caught in the open and are exposed to its ranged attacks. Once again, retreat a short way if you start to get surrounded or you are likely to be heading back to the previous autosave!

Once the room is clear, go to the back of the room to find a work station, Med Kit and a hackable research terminal for a new Research Project (Heavy Skin Weave) and when you are ready to progress, look to the left of the ramp you entered from to find a tunnel containing a bypassable door. Open the next door here for a scene.

You receive assistance from a most unlikely source.

After the scene, defend yourself against the horde of Husks and Abominations that decide to visit you by climbing onto the catwalk. Once the first group is dead, descend the stairs in front and look just to the right and you will see another group climbing up onto the walkway. Retreat up the stairs as you are going to have to kill about twenty of them whilst a Scion also appears from further ahead. Once they are all dead (including the Scion), cruise down the stairs, around the crates and up the stairs on the other side.

(1 of 2) Fight through numerous waves of Husks (and the odd Scion),

Fight through numerous waves of Husks (and the odd Scion), (left), stopping to search a cubby where a Cerberus Shotgun will yield a Shotgun Damage research project. (right)

At the very top here you will find a Terminal and if you head on down the catwalk to the left you will find a Med Kit if you require one. Return to the top of the ramp and move a short way past it to trigger another wave of Husks. Kill them all before you continue. In this area, examine the Terminal before going down the ramp to the right. Find the next set of stairs leading down and as before, as you reach the bottom, Husks and Abominations will start crawling over the sides, and matters are further complicated by another Scion who will appear atop a ramp further ahead. Withdraw out of the Scion’s range and gun down the Husks and Abominations, then deal with the Scion. When the way is clear, descend the stairs again and search to the right to find a cubby containing some Power Cells and a Cerberus Shotgun you can scan for Research Project (Shotgun Damage). Grab this loot, then turn around and head up the ramp the last Scion appeared on.

At the top of the ramp, look to the right for a Terminal , before heading forward down the next ramp. As you reach the bottom, two Scions will appear on ramps in front of you and a group of Abominations and Husks will start to climb over the railings as well, just to mix things up a bit! Immediately retreat up the ramp and down the other side a little to break line of sight with the Scions so that you can kill the Husks/Abominations without having to worry about ranged attacks as they come to get you. Once the minor enemies are done, take down the Scions from cover – try to save the explosive containers at the bottom of the ramp and shoot them when they get close. When the Scions are dead, move to the bottom of the ramp and kill any remaining baddies in the area.

(1 of 2) As you approach your destination, youll find opposition in the form of two Scions, in addition to the usual swarm of Husks.

As you approach your destination, youll find opposition in the form of two Scions, in addition to the usual swarm of Husks. (left), Defeat your foes and claim the Reaper IFF. (right)

Continue around the walkway to the next ramp leading downwards and descend. Eliminate the Husks that climb up to meet you and as you do that, you would do well to notice a pair of Scions slowly making their way up a nearby path to meet you. Retreat and take out the Husks before focusing fire on the Scions. Mop up any stragglers you may have missed and pick up the Power Cells in the corner before making your way along the walkway the Scions came from and bypass the security lock on the door. Grab the Reaper IFF from the console here and snaffle the contents from the nearby Wall Safe before heading through the next door.

(1 of 2) Fend off waves of Husks guarding the Reaper Core,

Fend off waves of Husks guarding the Reaper Core, (left), stopping either to take potshots at the Core when its vulnerable, or waiting until all the Husks are dead to deliver a coupdegrace. (right)

After the scene, have a quick look at the room; there are three long walkways running parallel to each other and linked together at the front and back by bridges. At the far end from the entry is the Reaper Core. As you approach it, the Core will close and send out a pulse of energy that summons bad guys. Within seconds, Husks and Abominations will begin to climb up onto the left and right platforms and you will need to defend yourself from the onslaught.

To make this a little easier, we recommend chilling in the back corner of the left platform (there is also a laptop here to pick up). Note that the Reaper Core will open whilst you are fighting the smaller enemies so try and get a few sneaky shots in at it whilst you have a break in the fighting. Once enough damage has been done to it, the Core will seal itself once again and summon another wave of hostiles.

Continue to defend yourself, dispatch minions and shoot the Core when it reveals itself - if you can find the time, a single shot from the M-920 Cain can just about do the job - until it is destroyed and a scene ensues. Mission complete!

The Normandy leaves the moribund Reaper ship.

Back on the Normandy, the crew will discuss the odd geth that you rescued. Your history with the geth hasn’t been checkered - it’s been decidedly skewed in favor of violence. That said, this is the first geth you’ve encountered that didn’t shoot at you… unless its aim on the derelict Reaper was really, really bad. You’ll get two options for dealing with the deactivated geth; either “I want to talk to it first.” or “Cerberus gets the geth.”, and we strongly suggest you pick the former, as otherwise you’ll miss out on a new companion.

During the following conversation, you need to be sure to hang onto the Geth (named Legion as you will find out later) that has helped you during the mission. Once you are back aboard the Normandy, you will be able to decide its fate, plus if you want, it can also join your squad later on. We highly recommend keeping it as a squad member to gain full benefit from the story especially if you plan on playing Mass Effect 3 and wish to see everything there.

ME2: Obtain geth technology

(1 of 3) Make sure you keep Legion on board the Normandy - if you send him off to Cerberus, itll be lost forever.

Once all that’s done, you’ll have free reign of the Normandy again, and you’ll most likely be told it’ll take some time for the Reaper IFF to install. That’s right, you have a variable amount of time to burn between the end of the Reaper IFF core mission and the next - final - core mission. Before this final mission starts up, you may as well complete any remaining missions/assignments, and if you took our advice earlier and did everything possible before starting Reaper IFF, this will be a nice, simple, clean matter: talk to Legion down in the AI Core (Crew Deck) and accept it into the squad, then talk to it again to start Legion’s loyalty mission, A House Divided.

Completing this mission will secure the loyalty of the game’s final squadmate, and when it ends you’ll (hopefully) move on to the final mission.