"Mass Effect"  is full of heart-pounding moments that are spread throughout the entire trilogy. But there's one particular moment (or mission) that a lot of fans can agree was among the absolute best: "Mass Effect 2's"  Suicide Mission. 

Mass effect 2 thane
(Photo : Steam)

In the second game, the ultimate goal is to take what's basically "Mass Effect's"  version of the Suicide Squad through a relay that leads to a freakin' black hole, kill some bad guys, and blow some stuff up.

But the one thing that separates this final mission from everything else is the fact that you, the player, can make decisions that would determine which character lives and dies. And if you actually manage to do EVERYTHING wrong, even Shepard can die. 

Now, "Mass Effect Legendary Edition"  is not re-rendering this glorious mission in 4K 240Hz with you causing the deaths of your entire band of misfits. So, if you want to keep everyone alive during the Suicide Mission, you need to follow this guide. 

But before we go further, SPOILER ALERT! If you're still playing through "Mass Effect 1," turn back NOW. 

And without further ado, here's the guide. 

Read also: Mass Effect Legendary Edition and The Importance of the Game Modding Community

Mass Effect 2 MUST DO #1: Loyalty Missions

Here's one thing (or several things) that you cannot afford to miss doing: the loyalty missions for every single squad member. 

All of the members of Shepard's team in "Mass Effect 2"  will ask Shepard for help with their personal dilemmas.

To get these missions, make sure you talk to Yeoman Kelly Chambers every chance you get and ask how the crew's doing. She will point you to certain squad members who want to talk to you. 

Mass effect 2 mordin
(Photo : Steam )

But some people will still miss out on these, so here's a list of ALL the loyalty missions, including the ones for the DLC characters Kasumi and Zaeed, as detailed by IGN. You can see these in the Journal page once they're unlocked: 

  • Jacob: The Gift of Greatness

  • Jack: Subject Zero 

  • Grunt: Rite of Passage

  • Mordin: Old Blood 

  • Garrus: Eye for an Eye 

  • Tali: Treason 

  • Samara: The Ardat Yakshi 

  • Legion: A House Divided

  • Thane: Sins of the Father 

  • Kasumi: Stolen Memory

  • Zaeed: The Price of Revenge 

Make sure that you accomplish ALL loyalty missions in accordance to what your squadmates want, and you will earn their loyalty. 

There's a caveat, however: FOUR missions can be failed. These are the ones with Tali, Zaeed, Samara, and Thane. Here are the situations that will make you fail to earn their loyalty: 

  • Zaeed: Refuse to pursue Vido 

  • Thane: Lose track of the Turian politician while tailing him 

  • Samara: Bore Morinth or fail to attract her in the club

  • Tali: Present evidence of her father's treason in the trial 

AVOID doing these things, and you'll accomplish the missions the right way. 

MUST DO #2: Upgrade the Normandy 

The Normandy SR2 is a powerhouse of a ship, but it can still use upgrades. And these upgrades (or lack thereof) will also affect who lives and dies, because going through the Omega 4 relay is extremely dangerous for the crew even with the IFF. 

As ScreenRant puts it, you need to purchase ALL the critical ship upgrades by going to the research center in Mordin's lab.

These upgrades are as follows: Thanix Cannon, Silaris Armor Tech, and Cyclone Shield Tech. Each upgrade costs resources, so go mine planets by scanning them, and sending probes whenever you're in a star system. 

But here's the catch: you can only unlock the critical upgrades IF you talk to three squadmates: Jacob, Garrus, and Tali. That's Jacob for the armor, Garrus for the big gun, and Tali for the shield. 

MUST DO #3: Assign the RIGHT Roles 

"Mass Effect 2's" Suicide Mission is one of the greatest in the history of gaming because of the amount of control it puts in the player's hands. And that level of control extends to assigning which roles your team members will fulfill in the upcoming big fight. 

Mass effect 2 garrus
(Photo : Steam )

There are four main scenarios that require specific specialists: hacking the doors, leading Fire Team 1, maintaining the biotic bubble, and leading Fire Team 2. There's also an extra one where one squadmate has to escort the surviving Normandy crew back to the ship.

To succeed in each scenario, you need to assign the PERFECT people for the job. Thankfully, there are often multiple choices for each task: 

  • Hacking the doors: Legion, Tali, Kasumi 

  • Fire Team 1 and 2 leader: Garrus, Jacob, Miranda 

  • Biotic bubble: Samara, Jack (or Morinth if you actually chose her over her mother)

  • Escort: Mordin (he's not a frontline combatant, so sending him to escort the crew to the ship will ensure his survival, unless you pick him to be part of your personal squad AND he's loyal). 

Any other character not mentioned for each role is unfit and will die, even if they are loyal. 

And there you have it. That's basically everything you need to do if you want to make sure that every member of your team lives at the end of "Mass Effect 2."  In fact, keeping some characters alive (like Tali) can actually help you get the best ending for "Mass Effect 3," provided you also did everything right throughout the game. 

Go blow those Collectors to hell! 

Related: Mass Effect Legendary Edition and This Generation's Preference for Game Remasters: A Closer Look

This article is owned by Tech Times 

Written by RJ Pierce 

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