5 Tips To Best Enjoy Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 is a huge game. So huge, in fact, that we'd be remiss if we didn't give a little helpful guidance to players priming to play. So we at Brave New Gamer have assembled a list of 5 tips to remember for your first playthrough of Mass Effect 2 to ensure you have the most fun, enjoyable experience possible.

And there are no spoilers!

1)  Don’t worry about savegame transfers

A big deal has been made (and rightfully so) about transferring savegames for Mass Effect 2. But really, it isn’t that big a deal. Playing the game without a transferred savegame will give a nearly identical play experience to someone with a savegame. You may not get all the added bonuses or the same choices (such as the council being run by humans and Udina, and Wrex being dead), but ultimately the game itself is not lacking without a Mass Effect 1 savegame.

2)  Talk to store owners before making purchases

As Commander Shepard, savior extraordinaire, people will do almost anything for you. This includes lowering store prices, so long as you’re paragon/renegade enough for it. Wholesale prices go a long way when some items can cost tens of thousands of credits, so make sure to talk to every store owner.

3)  Recruit Mordin early on for research

You can’t purchase new weapons in Mass Effect 2, so you must rely on research to make them more powerful. Mordin provides that research. Find him early on, and you'll have access to upgraded weapons in no time.

4)  Go mining early on, and later only when needed

If you need resources for upgrades or purchases, go mine planets. But unless you enjoy the grind, don’t spend too much time on it (and yes, even though the bars fill up at 25,000 units of each, you can go over that amount). In my first playthrough, I mined quite a bit in the beginning and was set for the rest of the game (save for a few instances). It may make the beginning boring, but you might not have to do it again.

5)  Save the game before starting character-specific missions

Most missions you fail will just restart the game from the last save point. Not so with the final mission, as expected, but also with crewmember-specific missions. Plan on helping Thane or Grunt? Save it beforehand, because if you fail, their loyalty will be questionable.

Bonus Tip: Loyalty isn't overrated*

Bonus Tip #2: The more powerful the ship, the better chances you'll have for success*

*These tips, if explained, would be complete spoilers. While they sound obvious, the reasons for them are not.

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