Warning! The following contains story spoilers for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, available now.
With Mass Effect Legendary Edition out, fans can revisit the acclaimed Mass Effect 2, wholly remastered on a technical level while the gameplay elements have been refined. Following the adventures of a resurrected Commander Shepard, they form a tenuous alliance with Cerberus to investigate why the Collectors have been raiding distant, human colonies with suspicious links to the fearsome Reapers. As Shepard builds his squad for this daunting mission, one of the first members he can recruit is his old Turian friend Garrus Vakarian, now operating under the new moniker Archangel on the lawless space station Omega.
As Shepard approaches Omega, he learns of reports of Archangel's activities targeting criminal activity on the station. After arriving at the station, Shepard's presence is requested at the nightclub Afterlife, where the Asari Aria reveals herself as a local crime lord that rules the station. Aria directs Shepard to a recruitment drive conducted by several crime syndicates banding together to kill Archangel after cornering him in a building in an isolated section of the station. Female Shepard has a Renegade interrupt to confront the recruiter's sexist comments while any version of Shepard will have a Paragon interrupt to dissuade a young recruit from throwing their life away in the attempted ambush. Once you're ready, speak to a recruiter outside of Afterlife who will send Shepard and the squad to the standoff, beginning the mission in earnest; Shepard will be given one last chance to change up his squad beforehand.
Upon arrival, grab a datapad near the table where the Eclipse crime syndicate is meeting; this can later be turned into Aria back at Afterlife after completing the mission for a reward. In the following hallway, Shepard can hack a datapad for credits and bypass the security system on a YMIR mech to alter its programming; this will prove key once the fighting really gets underway. To the left of Sergeant Cathka and the disabled gunship is an armory containing research data, rounds and power cells that can be salvaged for credits. The final assault on Archangel begins when Shepard speaks with Cathka, with a Renegade interrupt allowing them to kill him. Even in a Paragon playthrough, it is a good idea to perform the interrupt as it will prevent Shepard from facing a fully repaired gunship by the mission's end.
As the battle resumes in earnest, shoot the mercenaries hired to distract Archangel from behind, shooting preset explosives in the safehouse's lower levels to clear any nearby enemies. Remember that armor-piercing and incendiary ammo do well against armor, while disruptor ammo does well against shields. There is medigel on the couch in this lower area and research data on a bookshelf at the foot of the stairs, with more medigel in a bookcase at the top of the stairs. After clearing out the mercenaries, be sure to access the wall safe for credits and check for any additional ammo drops and credits if needed. During a conversation with Garrus, reuniting Shepard with their old friend, Shepard is given another Renegade interrupt to shoot the head of an advancing enemy clean off as the second wave strikes.
Rain gunfire down on the next wave of enemies, using biotic abilities for area of effect attacks on targets located at the center of the bridge leading into the safehouse; enemies hiding behind the crashed vehicle can similarly be drawn out forcibly by biotic techniques. In the event enemies enter the safehouse, going downstairs and taking them out before being flanked is a priority, taking cover along the couches at the foot of the stairs. The hacked YMIR mech will turn on its masters, allowing Shepard to focus on distracted enemies as the YMIR takes heavy damage through its shields and armor.
After taking out the last of the Eclipse wave, Shepard must go into the safehouse's subbasement after the tunnels into it are breached; leave a squad member with Garrus to slow him from taking damage in your absence and grab the battle rifle on the couch behind Shepard for future use. There are three breaches to seal in all, all done by a nearby console. The first is simple: Sprint to the console and take cover if advancing enemy fire becomes too heavy until the console is accessed and the breach is sealed. The second breach is tricky, with the firefight unfolding in a hangar and the enemies actively trying to flank Shepard. Focus fire on the krogan and varren while watching the flanks and keeping in mind that even vorcha can heal quickly from wounds. The final breach occurs around a tight corner; grab the medigel before entering this hallway and watch out for enemy fire in the blind spot, using Jacob's biotic abilities to provide additional covering fire.
Back up top, clear out the vorcha and varren as the varren's melee attacks can break up Shepard's shields quickly. The krogan crime lord Garm possesses both biotic shielding and armor, so break through both before immobilizing him with a biotic attack of your own and finishing him off. As Shepard's conversation with Garrus is interrupted by the final wave of attackers, take out the enemies coming through the window before being directed to the enemies n the lower level; you should be able to take out most peering down into the room from the center railing while under cover. As soon as the gunship itself attacks directly, stay undercover as its machine guns and rockets can inflict lethal damage in a matter of seconds. With the shields still disabled after killing Cathka before the attack, they can be brought down relatively quickly with several well-aimed shots from Shepard's explosive weapons bringing the battle to an end and an injured Garrus back alongside Shepard for the remainder of the game.
Developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
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