What Carries Over in NG+
Embarking on a New Game Plus (NG+) playthrough in Mass Effect offers a rewarding experience, allowing you to carry over sificant progress from your previous save. The most crucial element that transfers is your character's level and accumulated experience points. This means your Shepard will start NG+ at a much higher level than a fresh playthrough, often with a substantial number of skill points already allocated. This allows for immediate access to higher-tier abilities and more potent combat builds from the outset, enabling you to tackle challenges that might have been difficult on your first run, such as confronting a particularly aggressive Rachni Queen.
Your inventory, including weapons, armor, and consumables, also carries over. This means you'll begin NG+ with all the gear you've collected, including powerful unique items like the Spectre gear or the various upgrades you've purchased. This sificantly streamlines the early game, as you won't need to re-acquire basic equipment. However, certain quest-specific items or key mission objectives might reset, requiring you to re-engage with those storylines. Your reputation and Paragon/Renegade scores also transfer, allowing you to maintain your established moral alment and unlock corresponding dialogue options from the start.
Furthermore, your relationships with your squadmates, including romance options and completed loyalty missions, are preserved. This means you won't have to re-earn their trust or re-initiate romantic pursuits. The codex entries you've unlocked also remain, providing a wealth of lore and information about the Mass Effect universe. While the core story and mission progression will reset, the foundation of your character's development, equipment, and relationships is preserved, offering a more powerful and streamlined experience for subsequent playthroughs. This allows for experimentation with different class builds or a focus on achieving specific achievements, like completing the game with a certain squad composition or acquiring all available weapon upgrades.