Achievements & Trophies

Welcome, Commander, to the comprehensive guide for unlocking every Achievement and Trophy in Mass Effect 2! Whether you're a completionist aiming for that coveted Platinum or just looking to snag a few extra GamerScore, this section will provide you with the strategies, locations, and specific steps needed to conquer every challenge.

Mass Effect 2 features a mix of story-related, combat-specific, and exploration-based achievements. Many can be earned naturally through gameplay, but some require careful planning or multiple playthroughs. We've broken them down into categories for easier navigation.

Story-Related Achievements/Trophies

These are generally unmissable as they are tied directly to progressing the main storyline. You'll earn these simply by playing through the game.

• Fallen Hero: Survive the opening attack. This is the very first achievement you'll earn, automatically unlocked after the Normandy SR-1's destruction and Shepard's subsequent revival.
• The Price of Revenge: Complete the "Freedom's Progress" mission. This is unlocked after you rescue the colonists on Freedom's Progress and meet Cerberus.
• A New Beginning: Recruit the first new squad member. This refers to recruiting Garrus Vakarian on Omega.
• The Prodigal Son: Recruit the second new squad member. This is unlocked after recruiting Mordin Solus on Omega.
• Ghost of the Past: Recruit the third new squad member. This refers to recruiting Grunt on Korlus.
• The Justicar: Recruit the fourth new squad member. This is unlocked after recruiting Samara on Illium.
• The Master Thief: Recruit the fifth new squad member. This refers to recruiting Kasumi Goto (if you have the DLC) or Jack on Purgatory.
• The Assassin: Recruit the sixth new squad member. This is unlocked after recruiting Thane Krios on Illium.
• The Archangel: Recruit the seventh new squad member. This refers to recruiting Garrus Vakarian on Omega. (Note: This is often confused with 'A New Beginning' but specifically refers to the mission where you recruit him, not just the act of recruiting a new member).
• The Cure: Complete Mordin's recruitment mission.
• The Krogan: Complete Grunt's recruitment mission.
• The Convict: Complete Jack's recruitment mission.
• The Assassin: Complete Thane's recruitment mission.
• The Justicar: Complete Samara's recruitment mission.
• The Veteran: Complete Zaeed's recruitment mission (if you have the DLC).
• The Thief: Complete Kasumi's recruitment mission (if you have the DLC).
• Friend or Foe: Successfully complete the "Horizon" mission.
• The Collector Base: Successfully complete the "Collector Base" mission.
• The Reaper IFF: Acquire the Reaper IFF.
• Into the Maw: Successfully complete the "Derelict Reaper" mission.
• Suicide Mission: Complete the game. This is awarded after the final credits roll.

Combat & Skill-Based Achievements/Trophies

These achievements require specific combat actions, using certain powers, or reaching particular milestones in battle. Many can be farmed in specific locations or during easier encounters.

Weapon Specialist Achievements

Each of these requires you to kill 30 enemies with a specific weapon type. You can track your progress in the in-game Journal under the "Achievements" tab.

• Assault Rifle Specialist: Kill 30 enemies with an Assault Rifle.
  • Strategy: Equip an Assault Rifle (like the Avenger or Vindicator) and focus on using it exclusively during missions. Early missions with numerous Husks or Collectors are ideal for racking up kills quickly.
• Shotgun Specialist: Kill 30 enemies with a Shotgun.
  • Strategy: Shotguns are devastating at close range. Use weapons like the M-23 Katana or M-27 Scimitar. Missions with confined spaces or enemies that rush you (e.g., Varren, Husks) are excellent for this.
• Sniper Specialist: Kill 30 enemies with a Sniper Rifle.
  • Strategy: Precision is key. Use Sniper Rifles like the M-92 Mantis or M-97 Viper. Missions with long sightlines, such as the "Horizon" mission or areas with stationary turrets, are good opportunities. Aim for headshots for quicker kills.
• Heavy Weapon Specialist: Kill 30 enemies with a Heavy Weapon.
  • Strategy: Heavy Weapons consume rare ammo, so conserve it. The M-100 Grenade Launcher, Cain, or Arc Projector are good choices. Missions with large groups of weaker enemies or powerful armored targets are best. The "Collector Base" mission offers many opportunities.
• Pistol Specialist: Kill 30 enemies with a Pistol.
  • Strategy: Your starting M-3 Predator is a reliable choice. Focus on using it when other weapon ammo is low or against weaker targets.
• Submachine Gun Specialist: Kill 30 enemies with a Submachine Gun.
  • Strategy: SMGs like the M-9 Tempest or M-4 Shuriken are effective at medium-close range. Good for stripping shields and barriers.

Power-Related Achievements

• Master of Warp: Warp 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: Play as a Biotic class (Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard) or bring squadmates like Miranda or Thane. Warp is highly effective against barriers and armor. Focus on enemies with these defenses.
• Master of Incinerate: Incinerate 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: Play as an Engineer or Infiltrator, or bring Mordin. Incinerate is excellent against armor and organic enemies. Husks and Krogans are prime targets.
• Master of Cryo Blast: Freeze 20 enemies with Cryo Blast.
  • Strategy: Play as an Engineer or bring Mordin. Cryo Blast is great for crowd control. Weaker enemies like Husks are easily frozen. Follow up with a melee attack or a powerful shot to shatter them.
• Master of Overload: Overload 20 enemy shields.
  • Strategy: Play as an Engineer, Sentinel, or Infiltrator, or bring Miranda or Garrus. Overload is essential for stripping shields and synthetic enemy barriers. Focus on shielded enemies like Blue Suns Troopers or Geth.
• Master of Tech Armor: Use Tech Armor 20 times.
  • Strategy: This achievement is exclusive to the Sentinel class. Simply activate Tech Armor 20 times during combat. It has a relatively short cooldown, so you can spam it.
• Master of Pull: Pull 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: Play as an Adept or Vanguard, or bring Samara/Morinth. Pull is effective against unshielded, unarmored, and unbarriered enemies. Use it to lift enemies into the air for easy kills or to set up biotic combos.
• Master of Throw: Throw 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: Play as an Adept or Vanguard, or bring Jack. Similar to Pull, Throw is best used on unprotected enemies. It's excellent for knocking enemies off ledges or into environmental hazards.
• Master of Charge: Charge 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: This achievement is exclusive to the Vanguard class. Use Charge to close distances and deal damage. You'll likely earn this naturally if playing a Vanguard.
• Master of Dominate: Dominate 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: This achievement is exclusive to Morinth (Samara's loyalty mission outcome). If you chose to keep Morinth, use her Dominate power frequently in combat.
• Master of Slam: Slam 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: This achievement is exclusive to the DLC squadmate Kasumi Goto. If you have her, use her Slam power often.

General Combat Achievements

• Merciless: Complete a mission with 100% accuracy.
  • Strategy: This is easier than it sounds. Choose a very short mission or a loyalty mission with minimal combat. Equip a Sniper Rifle (M-92 Mantis) and only take carefully aimed shots. Melee attacks do NOT count against accuracy. Consider a mission like "N7: Abandoned Research Station" or "N7: MSV Estevanico" for fewer enemies.
• Head Hunter: Perform 30 headshots.
  • Strategy: Focus on using Sniper Rifles or Pistols. Aim for the head of unarmored/unshielded enemies for quicker kills. Husks are easy targets for headshots.
• Big Game Hunter: Defeat the YMIR Mech on Freedom's Progress.
  • Strategy: This is a story-related boss battle. Use Overload to strip its shields, then focus fire on its head or weak points. Heavy weapons are also effective.
• Brawler: Melee 20 enemies.
  • Strategy: Simply use your melee attack (default 'F' on PC, 'B' on Xbox, 'Circle' on PS3) on 20 different enemies. Husks are perfect for this as they rush you.
• Warp Specialist: Perform 20 Warp detonations.
  • Strategy: This requires two biotic powers. First, use a power like Pull or Singularity to lift an enemy. Then, hit the suspended enemy with Warp to cause a detonation. Bring squadmates like Jack or Samara/Morinth to set up Pull/Singularity, then use your own Warp, or vice-versa.
• Incineration Specialist: Perform 20 Incineration detonations.
  • Strategy: Similar to Warp Specialist, but with Incinerate. Use a power like Cryo Blast to freeze an enemy, then hit them with Incinerate to cause a detonation. Mordin is excellent for this combo.

Exploration & Miscellaneous Achievements/Trophies

These achievements involve exploring the galaxy, completing side quests, and interacting with the game world.

• Explorer: Visit 10 planets in the galaxy map.
  • Strategy: Simply fly your ship to 10 different star systems and land on a planet. You'll earn this naturally as you progress through the game and complete side missions.
• Prospector: Mine 50,000 units of resources.
  • Strategy: Use your scanner on planets to locate mineral deposits (Palladium, Platinum, Iridium, Element Zero). Launch probes to extract them. Focus on rich planets, and upgrade your scanner and probe capacity at the research terminal. This will likely require dedicated mining sessions.
• Paramour: Establish a romantic relationship.
  • Strategy: Pursue one of the available romance options (Miranda, Jack, Tali, Garrus, Thane, Samara/Morinth, Kelly Chambers). Consistently choose Paragon/Renegade dialogue options that express interest, complete their loyalty mission, and speak to them frequently after missions.
• Power Gamer: Reach Level 30 with one character.
  • Strategy: This will require a significant amount of gameplay. Complete all main missions, loyalty missions, N7 side missions, and explore planets for anomalies. Playing on higher difficulties grants more XP. It's often easier to achieve this on a New Game+ playthrough.
• Completionist: Complete all loyalty missions.
  • Strategy: After recruiting each squad member, speak to them on the Normandy until they offer their personal loyalty mission. Complete all 10 (or 12 with DLC) of these missions. Ensure you resolve any disputes between squadmates (e.g., Jack/Miranda, Tali/Legion) with high Paragon/Renegade scores to maintain loyalty.
• No One Left Behind: Keep all squad members alive during the suicide mission.
  • Strategy: This is one of the most challenging achievements. It requires careful planning and strategic choices throughout the game.
    1. Loyalty: Ensure every squad member is loyal. Complete all loyalty missions.
    2. Ship Upgrades: Purchase all Normandy upgrades:
       • Heavy Ship Armor: From Jacob after his loyalty mission.
       • Kinetic Barrier Upgrade: From Garrus after his loyalty mission.
       • Thanix Cannon: From Samara/Morinth after her loyalty mission.
    3. Suicide Mission Roles: Assign the correct squad members to critical roles:
       • Ventilation Shaft: Tali, Legion, or Kasumi (if loyal).
       • Biotic Barrier: Samara or Jack (if loyal).
       • Fire Team Leader (1st & 2nd): Garrus, Miranda, or Jacob (if loyal).
       • Escort Crew: Mordin (if loyal).
    4. Hold the Line: For the final stand, leave your strongest defensive squad members. Grunt, Zaeed, and Garrus are excellent choices. Weaker members (Jack, Mordin, Tali, Kasumi) are more likely to die if left to defend.

Difficulty-Related Achievements/Trophies

These achievements require you to complete the game on specific difficulty settings.

• Veteran: Complete the game on Veteran difficulty.
  • Strategy: Play through the entire game on Veteran. You can change difficulty at any time, but only completing the final mission on Veteran will count for this.
• Hardcore: Complete the game on Hardcore difficulty.
  • Strategy: Play through the entire game on Hardcore. This difficulty presents a significant challenge, so ensure your character build is optimized, and you utilize squad powers effectively.
• Insanity: Complete the game on Insanity difficulty.
  • Strategy: This is the ultimate challenge. Insanity difficulty features tougher enemies, more shields/armor/barriers, and less forgiving combat.
    • New Game+: Consider playing on New Game+ with an imported Shepard from Mass Effect 1 or a completed Mass Effect 2 save. This allows you to start with higher levels, more credits, and research upgrades.
    • Class Choice: Sentinel, Soldier, and Infiltrator are often recommended for their survivability and crowd control/damage capabilities.
    • Squad Selection: Bring squadmates with complementary powers to strip defenses (e.g., Miranda for Overload/Warp, Mordin for Incinerate/Cryo Blast).
    • Cover & Positioning: Utilize cover constantly. Flanking and careful positioning are crucial.
    • Research Upgrades: Maximize weapon damage, shield/barrier strength, and power cooldowns through research.

DLC Achievements/Trophies

If you own the DLC packs, there are additional achievements to unlock.

Kasumi - Stolen Memory

• The Master Thief: Recruit Kasumi. (Also listed under Story-Related)
• The Art of the Steal: Complete Kasumi's loyalty mission.

Zaeed - The Price of Revenge

• The Veteran: Recruit Zaeed. (Also listed under Story-Related)
• Vengeance: Complete Zaeed's loyalty mission.

Lair of the Shadow Broker

• A House Divided: Complete the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" mission.
• The Ultimate Hunter: Defeat the Shadow Broker.
• The Exterminator: Kill 20 enemies while driving the Hammerhead.
• Strategy: During the Hammerhead sections of the DLC, focus on mowing down enemies. The Hammerhead's main cannon is powerful.
• The Negotiator: Complete the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" mission with no civilian casualties.
  • Strategy: During the car chase sequence on Illium, be very careful with your shots. Avoid hitting civilian vehicles or structures that could cause explosions. Focus fire on the enemy vehicles.

Arrival

• The Last Stand: Complete the "Arrival" mission.
• The Crusader: Complete the "Arrival" mission on Hardcore or Insanity.
• The Destroyer: Destroy the asteroid.

Good luck, Commander! With this guide, you'll be well on your way to earning every accolade Mass Effect 2 has to offer.