Advanced Combat Strategies — Mass Effect 2 Guide
Master combat in Mass Effect 2 by understanding difficulty settings and squad member utility. Choose the right difficulty for your skill level, from Normal to Insanity, and leverage your squad's unique abilities. Effective credit management is also crucial for upgrades.
Understanding the different difficulty settings is key to tailoring your combat experience:
- Normal: The default setting, suitable for players familiar with shooters.
- Veteran: For those seeking a slightly higher challenge. Most enemies lack advanced protection, with only high-ranking foes and bosses having armor, shields, or barriers.
- Hardcore: A significant challenge where almost all enemies possess advanced protection, effectively doubling their health. Recommended for a second playthrough.
- Insanity: The ultimate challenge, with enemies having even higher health and aggressive power usage. Squad members are less effective, requiring patience and strategic positioning.
General Gameplay Tip: Don't Spend it All in One Place
Credits are a critical resource in Mass Effect 2, earned primarily from completing missions rather than defeating enemies. Unlike ME1, credits are limited. Avoid impulsive purchases early on. Save your credits for essential upgrades towards the end of the game. Money is used for:
- Main Character Upgrades
- Class Upgrades
Squad members like Miranda, Jacob, Jack, Garrus, Grunt, and Mordin are vital. Gaining their loyalty unlocks a Bonus Power for them and adds it to Shepard's Advanced Training list. Each squadmate also has a Normandy Upgrade or research project, accessible via the "[NORMANDY UPGRADES]" option under the Investigate heading when speaking to them, or automatically upon loyalty mission completion.