The Escape
Two choices to make here, then you’re in control of the thus-far faceless Shepard. Just head forward and then up the right stairs. Then across the ol’ stompin’ grounds to save Chris, I mean Joker. One choice and that’s it.
Without giving much away, you can now choose your face and specialization. No, you do not have to keep either from your ME1 game, you can start both from scratch right here (especially if you don’t remember an imported character’s spec); feel free to “tweak” a face, the options are a big more refined in this game as far as I can tell, but not by much.
As far as specs, here is the breakdown:
- Soldier – gun specialist (best choice for new players)
- Infiltrator – stealth, long range, and tech (probably the best choice)
- Vanguard – biotics and close range (hard to play to its fullest)
- Sentinel – the combo of biotic and tech abilities
- Adept – pure biotics (you own un-protected enemies)
- Engineer – pure tech (drone)
Clearly, if you never played this game before, you may want to stick to Soldier – everything else requires a little more effort. My money is on Infiltrator being OP (overpowered).
What you do not get to change is your history from the first game if you have imported. I think it’s a safe bet to say you get to select that here if starting fresh.
Yet Another Escape
Pick up the gun, then take the cover by the door. Grab the ammo through the door, vault over the barrier ahead, and then either use cover or just blast the enemy up the steps. The little redish things on the ground are ammo, so walk over them to pick them up and don’t forget to reload often.
*NOTE: You can zoom with a gun for better aim.*
Through the next door, take cover and quickly dispatch the first bot, but stay in cover as three more pop out from the left. Just bursts of fire to take them out, but probably more than safe to just stand and kill everything. Grab ammo, also in the left room, then go forward.
Quick little bit in the hall, then pick up the grenade launcher in the next room. Use the weapon selection button, and you are pausing the game in case some fire moving tricks you, so highlight and select the launcher, then use it as the door opens below. Take the nearby lift down, and finally, run through the fire – don’t walk.
Head into the forward room for a data log (only need to listen to once). Then use the safe on the wall. It’s just a game of match. Mouse over the nodes to reveal their symbols, and before the tallies in the upper right are gone just find the four matches to advance (select the first and then the second, and of course the second selection does not reveal the symbols). One more log in here before you exit.
Another log up the steps by a window, then go through the door and help the dude out. You get a brief ally controlling direction. It’s basically the same as selecting a weapon, except you can move the camera to select targets to execute the orders. In this case, just practice telling Jacob to Pull all three bots. And I guess you can “ask some questions” like a dork while the ship is under attack, if you must.
*NOTE: Remember for the chat options, the left side is usually reserved for choices that don’t end the current chat thread, it’s usually just some side bit. It’s the right side choices that are: Good, neutral, and Bad from top to bottom. These choices do affect your personality and unlock future choices and things like that. Basically, you want to select one line of choices and stick to them, and progress in Paragon and Renegade carry-over slightly from ME1.*
One data log on the bench before you head out. Three bots in the next room, then there is time to go left up ahead before using the door so you can pick up a data log.
*NOTE: I won’t be very in detail about the conversations from here on out, I’ll let you enjoy the choices you make and leave it up to you if you want to hear about non-crucial stuff or not.*
Through the door, go ahead and act like you “remember” this guy, then pick up the health on the wall. Then use the “unity” option in the group wheel. A group of robots to fry, then stand far from the crates and have the new guy’s Overload option blow the boxes out of your path.
In the next hall you find a data pad to hack. This game is a bit confusing to understand. At the top it will display lines of code, and in the scrolling boxes you need to find that code and select it. Skimming over the X’s is bad, and so is choosing the wrong code – you have three “strikes” tallied at the bottom. All I know is you can just wait until you have found the right box, don’t assume that one is “close enough” to the displayed code.
A few bots in the next room, and in this big room you can advance up either side. I say up the left side, where at the top of the ramp you run into two squads of droids to the left and right, and then a big group through the door to the right (use the GL on your back). In the left room you have a log, safe, and data pad to access and test your hacking skills.
Collect ammo and head through the right door for a scene. Feel free to ask some questions now, since she asked of course, and feel free to move on when ready.
The Illusive Man
The questions continue, and I believe the third one is an actual test question, meaning one choice is not correct. If you don’t recall or didn’t play the first game, 50/50 chance it’s A.
On the next ship, visit the locker on the wall to change colors on your suit and the occassional “casual” look; it’s pretty much for cutscenes only. Then further down to meet the dude.
Next, open your Squad option and start spending points. For you, just get that bottom choice up (which should be to also improve your Paragon/Renegade scores in chat). And feel free to read up on all the stuff, even the gray options you can unlock, before selecting anything. You can always undo your choices until you exit the screen.
You can now go and have more personal chats with Miranda and Jacob (through the investigate option), for maybe a little more than just their histories (that alien, lesbian love angle from the last game didn’t just happen, it took some effort!).
Head out through the door for a report on what just happened. You’ll notice there is an experience report, extremely brief story summary, weapons found, credits found, and import bonuses. The import bonuses are if you imported a ME1 toon (character). From my rich level 50, I got the following:
Start at level 3
- 30,000 Credits
- 5000 Element Zero (whatever that is)
- 5000 Iridium
- 5000 Palladium
- 5000 Platinum (clearly this is my “bling” total) And a sizable start in whatever rep path I chose for this toon
And then they also threw in 100,000 extra credits for being rich (and no, I don’t know exactly how rich I was in the last game, nor if I even made an effort to get so much money, nor what the money was used for!).
So if I don’t connect with you poor saps out there, you can kiss my 5000 Platinum!
*NOTE: Yeah, these are not game-changing perks, but they are a nice way to reward those of us that did endure some of the “bogginess” of the first game. Yes, Mako, I mean you.*
