Mass Effect 2 was the second installment of BioWare’s sci-fi series, and it’s thought by many to be the best of the Mass Effect trilogy. It’s full of little details that show how much the developers were really passionate about working on it, like how the in-game map actually shows our solar system exactly how it would look in 2185.
Mass Effect 2 introduced a new kind of system for upgrading the player’s gear with new resources from Cerberus, the human-first (xenophobic) organization that Shepard starts working for in this game. While these upgrades won’t change how well Shepard could slay on the runway, they are often essential to keep up with the difficulty scaling.
9 Heavy Bone Weave (Skeletal Lattice)
Once the player has researched the Heavy Bone Weave upgrade, Shepard’s armor takes 50% less damage to their health from enemies’ melee attacks. While it’s a nice extra bonus for those who can afford it, Shepard takes a lot more damage from bullets than they ever could from melee attacks. Unless the player is playing a close-range, incredibly aggressive build, this won’t be high on their priority list. It’s unlocked for research by investing in two Heavy Skin Weave upgrades first.
8 Redundant Field Generator (Burst Regeneration)
The Redundant Field Generator upgrade increases the chance that the player’s shields will automatically be fully restored when they become depleted. Shepard unlocks the ability to research this upgrade once they’ve had two Damage Protection upgrades first.
It might sound beneficial, and it’s certainly worth it if the player can afford it, but the chance of their shields regenerating instantly is only 20 or 30 percent. Players who rely heavily on their shields might get some use out of it, but it’s not for everyone.
7 Heavy Muscle Weave (Microfiber Weave)
The Heavy Muscle Weave upgrade is unlocked once the player has researched in three Heavy Skin Weave upgrades. It increases Shepard’s melee damage by 25 percent by using microfibers that decrease the chance that muscles will get exhausted through exertion. This one is a good investment for aggressive players. Sometimes, you’re just looking to finish an enemy off, but the melee damage isn’t quite enough to kill them in one go: the Heavy Muscle Weave upgrade gives you the satisfying feeling of knocking them down with your own hands.
6 Damage Protection 1 - 6 (Ablative VI)
Damage Protection is a stacking upgrade for the player’s shields. There are six of them to acquire in the world, and each time Shepard researches one it adds 10% to their shields, barriers, or armor.
It’s also good to know that this upgrade applies to all squad members, not just Shepard. A common glitch causes it not to appear in their squad menu, but it’s still been applied. The upgrade is usually found on missions. However, a few are just laying around cities, and one is only found in a DLC.
5 Heavy Skin Weave 1 - 7 (Lattice Shunting)
The Heavy Skin Weave is an upgrade that adds an extra 10% to Shepard’s health bar each time it’s researched. Seven of the upgrades are hiding in various quests and locations in the open world. However, one is in the Overlord DLC and another is in the Arrival DLC, so players who only have the base game will have to go without. The flavor text indicates that the upgrade actually involves weaving synthetic fibers through Shepard’s skin, which reduces the damage they take and can be a conduit for sending medi-gel throughout the body.
4 Medi-Gel Capacity 1 - 6 (Microscanner)
The Medi-Gel Capacity upgrade allows the player to carry one more Medi-gel with them at all times. This is a lifesaver, especially in Mass Effect 2’s more difficult moments, like the dreaded Suicide Mission. It also stacks up to six times, as long as the player is able to find all the upgrades which lay around in the open world (one of them does require the Arrival DLC). Researching this one is a necessity for making the game a little easier to finish, especially towards the end as the difficulty scales up.
3 Hard Shields (Nanocrystal Shield)
The Hard Shields upgrade is exactly as simple as it sounds: researching it will mean that Shepard’s shields will take 20% less damage. To unlock it for research, the player needs to invest in three Damage Protection upgrades first.
Though Mass Effect 2 usually offers an array of objects to use as cover in a firefight, Shepard can’t help being in the open on occasion — which is what makes this upgrade so valuable. The flavor text indicates that it’s actually based on Geth technology.
2 Trauma Module (Medical VI)
In Mass Effect 2, BioWare made a twist on the player’s skill ‘Unity’ from the previous game. Now, it’s a power that heals Shepard and brings fainted Squadmates back to their feet. Usually, teammates return with no shields and only partial health. However, investing in the Trauma Module upgrade means that they return with full health. Fans understand how frustrating it is to resurrect their companions, only for them to die again a few moments later. The Trauma Module upgrade gives them a few moments to recover, get out of the line of fire, and regenerate their shields if they can.
1 Emergency Shielding (Shield Harmonics)
The Emergency Shielding upgrade is another that affects the player’s Unity ability. Investing in the Emergency Shielding upgrade means that whenever this power is used, squad members will return from fainting with full shields to boot. The player will unlock the chance to research Emergency Shielding once they’ve got three of the Medi-Gel Capacity upgrades first. Coupled with the Trauma Module upgrade, Emergency Shielding means there is no delay in getting fainted squadmates back into the action.
NEXT: Mass Effect: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Spectres
