Mass Effect. Video walkthrough of the game. Mass Effect Walkthrough - Citadel

23.09.2019

Let's see how to get a ton of money in Mass Effect 1.

In general, there are three ways to make money (in decreasing order of honesty):

Completing missions and mineral exploration
(Re-)selling goods to Dr. Michelle
Editing a save

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

1) Completing missions and mineral exploration

The most honest method provided by the developer. Everything would be fine, but funds accumulate very slowly. There is a risk of accumulating a million only for the last mission, but each of us understands - why is this million needed if there is nowhere to spend it!? As one of my best friends says, “I don’t like money, I like what it can buy.” It's hard to disagree with him.

So, if you choose this method, good luck and I can offer some tips:

Do not buy items from merchants; a lot of items can be obtained by honest looting.
One of the team members must be proficient in Decoding and Electronics (not necessarily the main character).
After each completed mission, return to the Citadel
Sell all unused items you find

But during the first playthrough, my entire team wore Scorpios and we were sure that this was the ultimate dream!

2) Reselling goods to Dr. Michelle

The method can be classified as semi-legal. On the one hand, it is clear that there is some kind of fraud, on the other hand, we are not deceiving the developers - they themselves left us such a loophole.

It turns out that after completing the task "Citadel: Doctor Michel" and rescuing Chloe Michel, you can get any amount of money just by selling various items to the doctor. Note that she offers special prices for salvation in her shop, that is, she will buy anything much more expensive than any merchants. From this follows the conclusion: if you sell something, then it’s to Dr. Michelle. This means that, having collected a limit of 150 items during missions, we urgently fly to the Citadel and sell everything in the hospital. And you can go even further: after all, items do not have to be found, they can be bought from merchants. Yes, it’s expensive, but we’ll sell them even more expensive, because the doctor keeps special prices! Yes, mere speculation.

3) Editing a save

Of the three considered, this method is the most cheating... requires the most creative approach and technical skills.

The technique for editing saves has already been discussed in detail. All steps remain exactly the same: expand the save into 3 files using WinRAR, open player.sav in the HxD editor, collapse the save into one file using Total Commander (ZIP format). The only difference is that you will need to look in the player.sav file for the number of available cash at the time of saving. Three bytes are allocated in the save to store information about the player’s current score. Let's say we have accumulated 6,719 credits, so we are looking for 0x001A3F in hexadecimal. You will need to look for exactly this number: 00 1A 3F.

Amazing game feature: maximum amount funds amount to 9,999,999 credits. This number cannot be exceeded. And this despite the fact that three bytes could fit as much as 0xFFFFFF, that is, 16,777,215 credits. Apparently, the game has some kind of internal hard limitation.

In order to become the owner of 9,999,999 credits, you must write down the number 0x98967F.

Perhaps the reader does not feel confident in determining the low and high byte of three, then I can advise you to write the symmetric number 0x7FFF7F. There will definitely be no mistakes, and 8 million is almost 9 million. It will still be problematic to spend it in full.

I wish everyone prosperity in real and virtual worlds! Good luck!

For dessert - a gallery of screenshots, from which you can see how party members flaunt in expensive suits. It’s immediately clear that nine million can be spent on clothes.

Galactic quests
We called this section “Galactic Quests” because... To complete each of the tasks, you will have to fly quite a bit throughout the galaxy. Please note that these tasks are optional and it is up to you to complete them or not. But I would advise you to listen to me and go through all these quests, because they will bring huge amount experience and, accordingly, will help pump the hero to the maximum. And, of course, as a result, they will make it easier to complete the main tasks, including the final missions. Agree, fight as a mighty warrior, with a lot of skills and special abilities much more pleasant. So let's get started.

Mysteries of Proteon
In the Hercules system, on the planet Eletania, there is a mysterious Proteon artifact. You can find it in the southwestern part of the map. It is very difficult to get to it, because... he is high up. This can only be done using Mako transport. Once you reach the artifact, examine it. It activates, and you find out that there is something like a hole for a key, although you do not have the key itself. To get hold of the key, you need to go to the citadel of the Shiara. You can only get the key if you complete both quests related to the Shiara. Their description can be found in the main part.

Missing Personnel
You will receive this task at the Citadel station using the elevators. I got the task at the very beginning, when I was going to a meeting with Udina and Andersen. They will tell you that a team of personnel has disappeared from the radio airwaves in the gamma sector. Travel to the Antaeus system and land on the planet Trebin to find the missing people. Head to their camp and, using one of the working consoles, find out their location. It turns out that they were heading to an excavation where samples of alien technology were discovered. Head there. Of course, these excavations could not end with anything good. You will have to kill the entire team, there is no saving them.

Major Kyle

To receive the task, head to the Eta cluster. Major Kyle leads some kind of mission cult, and you need to bring him back. Head to the planetary system and land on a small moon - Presrop. Once you reach the building, you need to decide how to get inside. Either convince the guards to let you in, or just blow everyone away and rush inside. You can find the culprit of the task a little further from the main building in the research block. So, if you got inside peacefully and have a high enough level of eloquence and charm, you can convince him to follow you. In this case, he will stay for a while to explain everything to his followers. When you return to your ship and click on the map, the mission will end.
If you fought your way inside, two new alternatives will appear. The first is to clear the research block, and then convince Kyle to follow you. The second is to simply kill him and then deal with all his followers. It is worth noting that by killing him and all his followers, you will receive a whole bunch of experience points and much more more money than with a peaceful solution to the problem.

Missing Marines
Go to the consular tower and talk to Admiral Kahoku, but only after you have received the rank of Specter. He will ask you to find out the fate of a detachment of infantrymen who disappeared in the Sparta system. Most likely, they were simply killed as a result of a failed diplomatic mission, but we need to know for sure. We are heading to the Artemis Tau cluster, the Sparta system, the planet Edolus.
After some fighting with the enemies, you learn that a rescue beacon was used to lure the infantrymen into a trap, after which they were all killed. You can safely return to the admiral and receive a reward for the task.

Cerberus
After completing the previous task and traveling a little around the galaxy, you will receive the current task. To complete it, you will have to go to the Cerberus guard post, which is in the Yatz system on the planet Bintu. The system is located in the Voyager cluster. There will be three Cerberus posts on the planet, examine them all. At one of the bases you will find Kahoku's body, pick it up and return aboard the Normandy to move on to the next task.

Dogs

Returning to the ship, you can find the main Cerberus base. To do this, we go to the Columbia system and land on the planet Neferon. We go towards the base, destroying everything we meet along the way. So you need to make your way until you get to the information terminal, it is marked on the map. Now you need to hack it and take the data. As soon as you do this, the task will be completed, you can return to the ship. Upon boarding the ship, you will receive messages from the “Shadow” broker with an offer to sell the obtained information. Please note that the sale is not in the best possible way will affect your reputation.

Lost module
Arriving at the Atikan Beta cluster, you will receive a message asking you to go to the Hercules system and find an information module that crashed on the planet. We fly to the specified address and land on the planet Elitania. The map will show you where to go, go to the module. It’s funny, but some macaque stole a disk with data, we need to return it.
We go to the northern colony, there, in one of the nearest caves, you will find a data disk. You'll have to fight your way back through the enemies, but it's not difficult, they're weaklings.

Hostage
This is another quest that you may receive while riding the elevators in the Citadel. Unfortunately, obtaining it is probabilistic. So, if you were lucky and were able to get hold of a task, go to the Faranita system. Once you get to the scene, you will have to act extremely quickly. You will have three minutes to clear the first large room. Please note that you need to kill all enemies. If you do not meet the allotted time, the hostage will be killed.
Having dealt with the enemies, you will move on, where you will have to enter into negotiations with the leader of the terrorists. It all depends on your oral skills. If the negotiations do not work out in your favor, the hostage will die. But if you are a good speaker, you can convince your enemies to surrender.

Enraged VI
After leaving warp, you will receive a message from Admiral Hackitt asking you to return and help deal with a training VI that has gotten out of control. We return to solar system, we find a small point near the Earth, this is where we need to go. We're landing. We go to the buildings, deal with the turrets, and then hack the console. Inside you will find a swarm of combat bots and 8 VI units. Your task is to destroy the connections. The same will need to be done in the following rooms until VI is destroyed.
Now pay attention, at the end of the mission, you will be asked to choose a specialization for your class. Since each character has a unique set, read the description carefully. Whatever you choose will appear in the skill tree, so take your choices seriously.

Base under siege

After exiting warp in one of the systems, in my case it was the Gagarin system, you will receive a message. It will tell about a research center under siege. Go to the site of the tragedy. Your task is not just to destroy enemies, but also not to harm the personnel. The downside is that scientists, although smart guys, can’t figure out how to get out of the line of fire, apparently for research reasons. So you will have to be extremely careful. I personally had to replay it several times. A good solution might be to lure enemies, i.e. shoot a couple of times, and then retreat to the exit. Now we go deeper into the building, just try to stay away from the scientists so as not to inadvertently catch them with charges. When all the enemies go to a better world, we return to the ship and report to Hackitt.

Missing Freighter
I did not receive this task directly, however, while I was in the Gemini Sigma cluster in the Ming system, I came across it. After getting on board and reading the ship's log, you will learn that the biotic Julia went crazy and killed the entire crew. You can calmly kill her, it's simple.

Privateers
To receive this task, while on Noveria, you will have to hack into the computer of the Synthetic Interest organization. A man named Garroth is worried about his brother, whose ship was attacked by pirates in the Strenuus system. You won't have to fly far; this system is located at the opposite end of the Horsehead galaxy, in which you are now. You need to land on the planet “Xavin” and go to the pirate camp. There you will find a body and data, return them to Garroth and the task will be completed.

Abandoned ship
You can find it in the Caspian system in the Maroon Sea. I wouldn’t say that this is a real task, but as an interesting point, it deserves attention. So, we get on board, destroy the enemies, and then go read the logbook. From him we will learn the whole truth about the incident.

Post alpha
We are flying to the Styx Tetta cluster towards the Erebus system. A guard post on the planet Nempos was attacked by aliens, well, it’s time for us to intervene. We land and go to the post. Be careful along the way, you may come across rahnirs. Having reached the place, kill the enemies, after which you can approach Lieutenant Duranda, who is standing nearby. After talking, you will learn that another large group of rahnir is moving in your direction. You have two alternatives:
1) We get into the Mako transport and kill enemies from it.
2) We connect the Mako to the station to recharge the turrets, and we ourselves fight as best we can.
Yes, keep in mind that the Rahnir acid easily passes through the Mako force shields, so they will not help. I personally chose the second option; after all, the support for turrets is more noticeable.
Now the secret is, the lieutenant and her people are indestructible, so stick with her. Kill enemies from afar, this is the most effective tactic. Having fought off two waves of enemy onslaught, the lieutenant will ask you to find out what happened to the outpost with which communication was lost, and also to destroy the underground shelter of the rahnir. We first go to the post and kill the rahnirs, then we go down into the mine and kill everyone we meet there. Also, in two small rooms, deal with a couple of Rahnir soldiers. This completes the mission.

Sigma-23
Being in the same cluster, we fly to the Acheron system. Our goal is the planet Althea. On this planet you can find another post under attack by the Rahnir. Kill all the enemies around, and then check the terminal at the station to find out the source of the rahnir spread.
So, we fly to the Argos Rho cluster, to the Gorgon system to the Sigma-23 station. Having arrived in the system, we dock with an unidentified space structure, and that’s exactly what it’s called. Now we kill all the rahnirs, after which we go to the terminal and find out all the secrets of what happened.

Dead scientists
Admiral Hackett thinks there is something strange about the death of scientists. Actually, it’s true, everyone who died recently worked on the same project. Only one scientist survived. Hekte suspects a conspiracy, and you, naturally, need to find out. To do this, we fly to the Newton system and land on the planet Ontario.
Head to the underground base. After killing all the enemies, you will meet with Dr. Wayne and Corporal Toomes. The corporal will have a lot to tell you about the doctor, but if you're lucky, you can persuade the corporal to leave the doctor alone. If he fails, he will kill the good doctor. You can also try to stop the corporal by force. In any case, the task will be accepted.

Interesting personality
After completing the first four main tasks, and returning to the citadel, hack the console in the academy. You will learn that Sector C is looking for a criminal, Helena Blake. Presumably it is located somewhere in the financial district. Go in search of her. Miss Blake will have an offer for you; she will ask you to kill two criminal bosses. Of course, you can refuse, but you will still receive the coordinates.
The first will be on the planet “Klensal”, in the “Dis” system. The second in the Khan system, on the planet Mavigon. After killing both, head to the Fortuna system and land on the planet Amaranthir. Upon entering the base, you will immediately run into Helena. If you want to remain white and fluffy, you can convince her to finally leave the gang, but if you try to arrest her and kill her and all the gang members, you will get several times more money and experience than with a good outcome.

Activity Getch
On Feros, on the top floor of the Exo Geni building, hack the console and receive this task. There is information that the Getch fleet is gathering in the Armstrong Nebula cluster. If you decide to take on the mission, Admiral Hackett will tell you the location of the four bases. Your task is to deal with them. Fly by specified addresses and destroy your enemies. When all four bases are destroyed, the path to the Grissom system will open. The main base is located here. Kill everyone inside and hack all the consoles to get the "Getch and Tali" mission.

Goetsch and Tali
Having received this task (the method of obtaining is described in the previous quest), go to Tali and give all the data received.

Colony of the Dead
There on Feros, you can get another task by hacking the server. The task concerns certain samples sent to the Matano system in the Maroon Sea cluster. You need planet "Chase". On it you will find several settlements, but all the inhabitants were converted to Husks. On the hill, in the southwestern part, there is a building - scientific station. Get inside and download the log of events from the terminal to complete the mission.

Vrex: Family Armor

Chatting with Vrex between missions, you will sooner or later receive this task. The task is to find the turian who stole the family armor. He's hiding somewhere in the Argus Rho cluster. We fly to the Phoenix system and descend to the planet Tantau. Don't forget to take Wrex with you.
There is a point on the map marked as a hidden building. There will be pirates inside, you need to destroy the enemies and then search through the containers. Once you find the armor, return it to Vrex, you may be able to find better ones.

Garus: Find Dr. Saleon
Just like in the case of Vrex, sooner or later you will receive a task. He will tell you that he was hunting for this criminal, but he was able to escape. Go to where Garus points and board the fugitive's ship (taking Garus with you). On board you will find Dr. Hurt, he knows nothing about the wanted person, but still attacks you. Soak it.

Delivery
You will receive these tasks periodically in different systems. They consist in the banal movement of cargo; if you want, you can do them. They will bring some income.

Hello, dear ladies and gentlemen. I am glad to welcome you to the ranks of the Alliance. I happened to play the English version, so the translation of some names may not coincide with the localization.

Normandy

You start out aboard the Normandy, an Alliance ship. Your first conversation will take place with the pilots of this ship. In this dialogue, you will easily become familiar with the conversation system in the game, and if you have previously played “Knights of the Old Republic”, then the system will be completely familiar to you. Building a dialogue will affect not only your interlocutors and their actions, but also your reputation, so watch your language and don’t blurt out too much. Talk to the pilot and his assistant, and then begin to move along the ship towards the stern. Along the way, you can talk to Navigator Presley, Doctor Chekwas and Corporal Jenkins to get some information and gain a little experience. After this, you can go to the menu and distribute your first skill points. Having reached the end, talk to Captain Andersen and his friend, after which your introduction will end and you will find yourself on the planet.

Eden Prime

Your first partners will be Jenkins and Kayden Alenko. Jenkins is an excellent soldier, but Alenko can use biotic attacks. Unfortunately, he has no combat skills, so you will have to take on this difficult task. Give him experience points in first aid and barrier skills. He will be able to activate the barrier automatically as soon as he comes under enemy fire. Well, now we will introduce ourselves great case practice fighting. Go forward and you will come across flying androids, these are weak enemies and dealing with them will not be difficult. Their main task is to let you practice and become familiar with the combat system.

Move through the first location, destroying enemies. A little ahead, in the water, you will find the first chest with goods. He will be right in front of you, so you won't miss. Before going further, turn right into a small dead end. There you will find the first upgrades. Now you can move on. Advance until Jenkins catches an enemy blow. Now you have to be especially careful. These enemies have special weapons that are not hindered by your shields. If you're not careful, they can defeat you.

Don't get close to them and shoot until they are destroyed. Now go over and check Jenkins' body before moving on. Move forward, killing all the enemies you meet along the way, not forgetting to check all the chests and containers you encounter for useful things. If you're lucky, you'll soon get new level, so don't forget to check your menu. As soon as you get a level, distribute the points. Having walked forward, you will come across Ashley. There will be enemies again, they need to be destroyed, with Ashley’s support, this will not be very difficult. Williams fleeing from enemies. Rescue her and she will join you. By the way, she will make an excellent replacement for Jenkins as a soldier. Increase her skill with an assault rifle, and also upgrade her soldier skills so that she can regenerate health.

Not far from Jenkins you will find chests with equipment. Search them and take away what you need. By this time, you most likely already have the Scorpion light armor. If you have the skill to wear armor, and you are not wearing anything yet, put on the armor, it will become great help in the first stages.

Go forward, you will come to a quarry. There will be enemies here again, they must be destroyed, with the support of Ashley, this will not be very difficult. By the way, in this location you can get acquainted with the shelters. The mechanics are somewhat reminiscent of Gears of War. My advice for the future is to try to use cover whenever possible. Shelters will provide a bonus to defense.

Once you reach the research village, you will find several resurrected enemies. They will naturally be interested in you. Their most annoying trait is their ability to overload your shields with electrical shocks. Run as far as you can, and then periodically use Cadon's throw to knock someone to the ground, while still shooting at others.

After getting rid of the enemies, go deeper into the camp to open the door with a combination lock. Save your game before attempting to open it. The hacking process comes down to pressing the required buttons. The main thing is to press the buttons displayed on the screen in time. If, for some reason, you don't do it the first time, you'll lose 25 Omni-Gels, so it's best to load from a save and try again.

Once you get inside, you will meet Dr. Warren and her crazy assistant. If you can successfully get her to talk, she will tell you the details of the attack and explain what is happening. After talking with her, we go to the spaceport.

Make your way to the spaceport through the hill. Destroy enemies along the way. Note that they are standing next to exploding containers. Agree, it’s much easier to kill them this way, but you’ll still get honey mushrooms. There will be a door a little ahead, pick the lock and you can talk to the farmers. A little further you can get an excellent pistol, and don’t forget to search the house, there’s also a combination lock there. Travel to the spaceport to find Nihlu's corpse. Before you search it, look at what’s inside the nearby first aid kit, and also pick up upgrades behind the burning fire. When you examine the corpse, the person standing next to you will tell you what he saw. If you can, try to push him and you can get some grenades.

Start making your way to the train station. Please note that there will be many enemies here, but take a closer look. You see containers with plasma, shoot at them, and they will explode, taking to the next world the enemies who happen to be nearby. The biggest trouble can be caused by the heavy destroyer; it moves towards the middle of the train. You should kill him as quickly as possible, keep in mind that if he gets close to you, you will be in big trouble. In this case, use the throw ability to knock him down and run to the train, where there may still be undead enemies. The battle can be somewhat problematic, so save before it and if something happens, you can replay it.

When you get to the next platform of the star dock, you will find that the enemies have decided to blow up the entire place. And again, the bad thing here is that they are not at all interested in self-preservation, the main thing for them is to protect the charges from you. The battle with them will be much more difficult than all previous ones, because... this time they are well organized, they have shock weapons and even a couple of snipers. You won't be able to break forward. Hide in cover, shoot, and move on. The main thing is not to rush and then you will easily defeat them.

Having dealt with the enemies, go to the other end of the spaceport and kill the remaining enemies there. Now you can search around the surrounding area. Check all chests and containers. After searching everything thoroughly, you can go to the lighthouse, after which the mission will end.

Return to Normandy

After talking with Andersen, go out to the main hall and talk to Ashley and Kayden. It is not necessary to talk to them, but it is better to do it anyway, then you can receive their gratitude. Then you can check the communications and navigation room to get additional information. When you're ready to continue, go to the Joker, after which you can head to the Citadel.

Citadel

You will land at the station and immediately meet with the human ambassador, Udin. He is not a very pleasant person, but what can you do? When he meets you, he will tell you that he will be waiting for you in the council tower. You need to head towards the tower, but once you have freedom of movement, you can explore the area. Below are the main tasks that are critical for completion.

Objective 1: Expose Saren

This is essentially the main quest that you must complete while in the Citadel. So, after talking with Ambassador Udin, go to the council tower. To get there faster, use a special transport system. Once you get there, talk to Garus, then go up the stairs to find Andersen.

It's a pity, but the council will consider Saren not guilty, so the search for evidence of his guilt will fall on you. Searching for clues will lead you to the need to complete the quests “Garus” and “Shadow Broker”. So, first, let's deal with the first quest.

Task 2: Garus

Garus is an investigator whose task was to understand Saren’s affairs. However, Saren very successfully built a web of lies and confused everything so much that Garus was never able to convict him of anything. You can discuss your notes with him and compare who has what. Now head to Chora's lair. There will be killers waiting for you on the street, whose task is to stop you at any cost. You'll have to kill them if you want to get there. Having dealt with the enemies, go into the bar, Harkin will be sitting at a table there. He's not a great helper, but he knows where to find Garus. It turns out that Garus can be found at Dr. Michelle.

Go to the clinic and clear it. There will be four enemies inside that require your attention. But now you can talk to Garus. Garus will join your squad and the mission will be completed. Oh, by the way, Dr. Michelle sells armor upgrades, so if you don’t have regeneration, you can buy them from her.

Task 3: Shadow Broker

A shadow broker is engaged in trading information. And here, in the citadel, he has an employee - Barl Vaughn, who works at a bank in the financial zone. Perhaps he knows something about Saren, so let's talk to him. Head to the bank and talk to him. The result will be that he will give you the next quest in the chain. You need to find Vrex, a krogan assassin who was supposed to find Saren on instructions from the Shadow Broker. He is currently at C-Sec Academy. Head there and find him. After talking with you, he will decide to join your team.

Task 1 – continuation

Now that we have both Garus and Wrex on our team, it’s time to take a walk to Chora’s lair. Unfortunately, the bar is closed and turned into something resembling a shooting gallery, and “Kulak” has settled here. Leave your companions outside and deal with the guards. “Kulak” and his guards are aware that you have come for him, so there is no point in being delicate. You can regroup and go inside. There will be enough enemies in the main room of the bar, but there is also plenty of cover here, so hide and calmly destroy the enemies. After this, pay attention to the raised platform in the center of the bar and to the alcove on the left, there will also be enemies there, but they are easy to miss. Kill them too. At the far end there will be a door, you go there. However, it is worth noting that there will be another enemy there; by killing him, you will completely open the way to the “Fist”.

Here you can again decide whether to go inside with the team or deal with all the problems yourself. But keep in mind that the “Fist” will not just stand there and wait for you to deal with it, it is dangerous in itself, and then there are two turrets covering it. A team can be sent to deal with the turrets. By the way, they give you experience, so it’s better to deal with them first, and only then kill the “Fist”.

Before her death, it turns out that the “Fist” has captured the Querians and she will die if we don’t have time to find her. We only have 4 minutes for everything. So, first take the data disk from the dead man, you will need it later. Then hack the safe, there will be useful upgrades there. That’s it, now let’s run to the aid of the Querians, by the way, her name is Tali.

So, in four minutes you must get out to the alley near Chora’s lair, but the bar is already filled with enemies again. Well, you'll have to cut your way out. Once outside, go left and then up the stairs to reach the alley. If you do everything correctly and get to the place on time, you will be able to engage in battle with the assassins sent to kill Tali.

These killers are not so simple, because... can disable your weapon using their abilities. Use cover and focus on only one enemy. Try to keep your distance from them and start fighting the next enemy only after the previous one is killed. There are two enemies in total. Once both enemies are killed, you can talk to Tali and learn some details. Tali will join you, and you will decide to show the materials to the captain and the ambassador first. You will be in front of them automatically. Talk to them, now you can go to the consul.

Exit the room you are currently in, turn left and go down the stairs. A little ahead you will see transport, it will help you get to the council tower faster. You will find Captain Andersen at the tower, talk to him, and he will go with you to the consul. The Ambassador will also join you. The dialogue will be long, and in order to earn experience and get the title of spectrum, you must always choose the first answer from the list provided.

The question immediately arises: is this a big failure or a masterpiece with a Game of the Year nomination? My thoughts on this a little later, but now let’s remember how it all began.

What happened before this time? How did the series begin its journey and who is this Shepard of yours? In this article and video you will hear all the answers and decide for yourself which part is the best. Beware of spoilers! However, I don’t plan to go through the plot thoroughly.

Mass Effect 1

Back in 2007, the first part of the trilogy was released on Xbox 360, in exclusive form for a year. Then Microsoft needed good games for sales of the new console. That's why they turned their attention to the studio BioWare after successful Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

The task was to come up with some kind of alternative. For about six months the team worked only on the story and concepts appearance. The script was led by Drew Karpyshyn and Casey Hudson.

The action takes place in the 22nd century, where, with the help of technology, repeaters were created and travel across the universe became possible. People discovered new opportunities and races and joined the interplanetary party.

The story of the game begins with a simple mission to transport an artifact of an ancient civilization. (Prothean) from Mars. The task was given to the main character and part-time commander spaceship Normandy. Only according to the law of the genre, everything went wrong. The Geth get involved in the fight for the artifact. (a race created by the Quarians with AI, as a workforce).

Shepard would not have been Shepard if he had not won and taken the artifact, which told him a lot of Prothean knowledge and terrible secret- the apocalypse is approaching, reapers near (another ancient race that restores order to the universe by destroying everything). During the mission, it becomes clear who was involved in such aggressive behavior, and his name is Saren. However, that's all. Then my team and I start chasing the traitor throughout the universe.

But this did not make the plot dull and predictable. At that time, Sci-Fi projects were rarely released, and for fans of the genre this game was like a drink fresh air. Everyone still admires the local atmosphere, and the notes found in the vast locations forced one to read oneself in full, helping one to comprehend all the secrets of the lore.

By the way, the well-known dialogue selection wheel first appeared in. Here, your relationships with the outside world depended on your answers; they could influence the ending or force your partner to undress and please you. Or rather, not forced, but by mutual consent, and the partners were 18 years old (both male and female).

The leveling in the first part is one of the best, or to be more accurate, it is extensive. By correctly placing stat points, you could unlock a new ability, the ability to say something extra in dialogue, or learn to put on different armor. And customization, due to different stores, was not mediocre. Shepard often purchased not only new weapons, but also clothing.

The combat system was not the most outstanding aspect of the game. Even now, true fans are indignant that with each part there is more and more action. They are used to talking with virtual partners, traveling around the galaxy and riding the Mako. True, the last statement is controversial. The physics of the machine were poor, to put it mildly, and after the 10th planet, exploration became dull due to the lack of variety.

The battle itself partially takes place in a stopped mode, where time freezes, and the player is able to give orders to two partners - where to shoot and what skills to use. In part, this is all reminiscent of, and also, because then it came out quite recently, and the cover system migrated to Mass Effect. Moreover, this was implemented better in the Girzas.

Mass Effect 2

Two years later, in 2010, on store shelves (and now on PC immediately) the second part has appeared. At the same time, the replay value of the first part has increased, because everything decisions made could be transferred to the company's new product. And these changes cannot be called cosmetic - the actions of the player depended on which characters would be in the game and, if they did not die by your will in the first part, what their reaction would be when they met and in the future. Interaction with the heroes from your squad has increased significantly. This is what the main plot will be based on.

But the plot is completely different. While patrolling the outskirts of space in search of remaining Geth, Shepherd's team is attacked. Many die, the ship is destroyed, and the main character dies. The end... It could have been, but the racist organization of people Cerberus found him and miraculously resurrected him, placing new goal in front of the captain - find out who they are Collectors and destroy them, because before the Reapers this threat is a priority.

The search for Collectors took a back seat for all players - the main mission was to find partners. And in order for them to join the detachment, they had to carry out their instructions. It sounds banal, but by doing so we learned more about these people (or other creatures), and it was very entertaining. Plus the ability to change everything to suit yourself using the dialogue wheel. The new system of saving someone, being rude or killing them at the decisive moment has tickled many nerves.

In the second part, the developers made a big emphasis on action: the battles became more dynamic, there is no need to be distracted by customization (it was almost completely demolished, but could have been improved better), pumping has fallen under the “katana”, now there are much fewer characteristics, and this is upsetting, because we didn’t fall in love with the series because of the battles.

Contrary to this, the combat system increased levels and was liked by many. The AI of teammates has increased, commands have become easier to give, and weapons have been replenished with new types - both various healthy guns, like rocket launchers, and other cartridges, for example, incendiary ones. But BioWare didn't do everything right, new system scanning the planets was even more dull than riding the Mako. More time was wasted, but there was no pleasure from the gameplay.

Mass Effect 3

In the year when the end of the world was supposed to happen, it happened in . Shepard worked on the ground as a staff officer, he was transferred here because of the help of Cerberus, or he could have been imprisoned altogether. The commander's attempts to prove that the Reapers are nearby have finally borne fruit. The council decided to listen to him, but it was too late. Throughout the galaxy where life was observed, skirmishes began with ancient race. Shepard again had to take command of the frigate Normandy SR-2 and assemble an army that would confront the main enemy.

The third part used the storytelling mechanics from the last game, where we needed to assemble a team, only now the scale has grown. It is necessary to annex entire nations, allowing them internal conflicts and helping them escape the Reapers for the final showdown.

Moreover, there is only room for important decisions; there are no neutral answers at all. It is necessary to help one race or another, but helping both creates big conflicts. For example, the three hundred year war between the Quarians and the Geats. The choice is not easy, if you rely on the previous parts. And for those who missed Mass Effect 1-2, released a playable comic where you could choose everything important events and transfer the save to the last part of the trilogy.

The combat system hasn't changed much, but Shepard has gained more mobility. Now the developers have found that balance for an interesting battle with the enemy. You move faster over cover, and when it slams while standing, rolls have been added. During story missions, although infrequently, stationary weapons came across the level, helping to diversify the game process.

There are still 6 classes left in Mass Effect, each with their own specific skills and characteristics. But if previously everyone used their own weapon, now the restrictions have been removed. And at the request of fans, customization was added to the game - now you can once again modify your power armor and weapons, which have expanded their list significantly. Using the same principle (pleading and requesting), the planet scanning system accelerated its gameplay. This is still not the most fun part of the game, but you don't need to waste a lot of time now.

Another controversial point is group game. Having put together a team of friends from real world, you could enter co-op mode, where you had to fight off waves of enemies, periodically completing additional tasks. But they were needed only for the sake of raising the detachment from one point to another part of the map. The battle area varies both in weather conditions and size, as well as in different opponents. Each troop type, as in the single, is weak to a specific weapon. It can be opened over time by leveling up your multiplayer character.

This mode had nothing to do with the main plot, players acted as a special forces squad and performed all sorts of small (and, in my opinion, rather boring) work while Shepard saved the galaxy.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

And now, finally, on virtual shelves (21st century in the yard) appeared. If we were waiting for the previous parts and predicted in advance that the game might not turn out to be a masterpiece, but it would turn out more worthy than its predecessor, now such guesses are questionable. Everyone has already accepted the fact that Shepard will not be there, and the plot is developing in another galaxy, where colonists were sent to conquer uncharted parts of space. There is no longer any need to save the universe, all you need to do is find new home and lay the foundation for the next trilogy.

The updated team has introduced many innovations to the series, these include realistic graphics with day and night cycles, and thanks to the new engine, destructibility. We added an improved dialogue wheel and a greater focus on characters in the story. There is also a jetpack for better movement, Mako has been returned. Physics was also brought in, which gives a pleasant feeling from exploring on a 6-wheeled companion. It's a pity they removed the weapons.

It should be noted that the battle system has been redesigned. The tactical mode also remained, but the speed increased. It would seem that in the third part everything was almost perfect (specifically for), but now the formula has been improved and that necessary pinch of dynamics has been added.

But what became 100% obvious and immediately was the eccentricity of the animation - both movement and facial expressions. Mainly facial. Emptiness in the eyes, random emotions and lips like a bow - how could you mess up such an important aspect of a game in which dialogue takes up an impressive amount of gameplay time? Fortunately, these disadvantages may not be noticed, because we need to read the subtitles, the main thing is not to raise our heads...

This is where my story comes to its logical conclusion, and you write in the comments which part stole your heart, and in the meantime I’ll prepare something new.

Mass Effect is an action/RPG game, and therefore is more time consuming than any action game due to its emphasis on story. The achievements aren't particularly difficult if you play smart, but the game will still require a lot of your time. If you pay attention only to the story during your first playthrough, you can complete it in 17 hours. The remaining two playthroughs should take less time if you skip dialogues with the X button. Just be careful not to overdo it with the speed of pressing, otherwise you will accidentally select an answer before you can read.

Note:

I have received some feedback regarding the estimated running time. It took me 32 hours to get 1050 points in this game, so I thought it was ok. Apparently not. As I said, I completed the game for the first time in just 17 hours, but this is taking into account the fact that I just wanted to finish it, and therefore did not explore different planets or complete missions to collect minerals. If you do any of this, you can safely at least double the completion time. If you just run through the game like I did, it should be over quickly.

Step 1: Character Creation

Step 2: Normal Difficulty

First of all, you need to get the Apprentice achievement at the Citadel. There is only one entry you can miss - about the Protheans. You can learn about them from Captain Anderson, who is standing near your ship. Talk to him about everything until you get the recording. During your first playthrough, I would recommend getting the “Asari Ally” achievement (Liara), and also taking a Soldier (Ashley) into your team to balance out the squad, since Liara is a pure biotic. See the guide to find out how you can get Liara into your team as quickly as possible. Try not to complete any tasks until you find her, then follow the further instructions to obtain the achievement. If you do everything correctly, you will receive the achievement for Ashley at about the same time as the "Passer", and the achievement for Liara - after completing Feros and Noveria, but before Virmire. During this playthrough, save up Paragon Points. When you finish the game on normal difficulty, Hardcore will open.

Step 3: Hardcore Difficulty

You can start a new game and use the character transfer from the first playthrough to this one. Enemies will be balanced to your level, which will make the game a little more difficult. Levels 51-60 will also become available, so you can continue to grow. This time I took Kaidan and Garrus on the team. Follow the Ally achievements guide, although things will be easier this time. During this playthrough, accumulate Renegade points. When you complete this playthrough, Insane Difficulty will unlock.

Step 4: Insane Difficulty

Continue playing with the same character and choose your last two allies (if you followed the guide, they are now Tali and Rex). The bosses are much harder this time, so be careful.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

As a soldier, you won't have any special abilities, so you'll have to create new characters, the Adept and the Engineer. Play until you have unlocked all of their abilities, then use each one 75 times on the Citadel Express. Hacking the AI is the only achievement that will have to be knocked out of real enemies, but this can be done almost at the very beginning, on the turrets, when you meet Fist. Save before this point, then load the save once you've cracked both of them. If you still have not received one or more achievements for weapons, start a new game on lower than normal difficulty with your “big” character (from steps 2-5) and finish them to the end.

Medal of Honor / Medal of Honor - 100

Complete Mass Effect once on any difficulty.

Complete the main story. I would recommend starting with easy difficulty. No, normal is not hardcore, and veteran is not crazy. Just play for fun, figure out what's what. Save up money for your next playthrough. Be sure to always take the same allies with you. Complete all side quests with them. Don't worry, they will open later in the game, sometimes at different stages.

Medal of Heroism / Medal for heroism - 25

Complete Feros.

Feros is a planet with colonists, and there is no snow there. You need to talk to the leader, kill the geth, and then - this is important - talk to him again and contact the people in charge of food, water and electricity. You need to complete their side quests! After this, move further along the air highway, visit the Exo-Geni scientists, find Elizabeth, return to the colony. Now either charge the grenades with Anti-Thorian Gas or kill them all. Please note that if you kill them and have not completed their quests before, you will NEVER be able to do them.

Distinguished Service Medal - 25

Complete Eden Prime.

This is the very first mission. Important: If you want to get achievements for Insane or Hardcore difficulty, then set the appropriate difficulty in the pause menu, but BEFORE you land on Eden Prime! This was confirmed on the Bioware forums. Just kill all the Geth, then deactivate the bombs by walking up to them and holding A. After that, walk up to the lighthouse and the mission will end.

Council Legion of Merit / Consul of the Legion of Glory - 25

Complete Virmire.

Virmire is the planet whose coordinates you will receive from the Council. First, when you land, you will need to destroy enemy air defenses, and then go to the salarian base. You can reconcile with Rex, who will want to save the cure from the “genophage”. Don't worry if you don't have enough Paragon or Renegade points, you will have the opportunity to do so later in the game. Now choose who will go with the salarians, Kayden or Ashley. Then during the battle, you will have to choose who to save. If the character you are building with dies romantic relationship, then they will end there.

Honorarium of Corporate Service / Fee for corporate service - 25

Complete Noveria.

Noveria is a planet covered in snow. And there you will meet Lady Benezia. To get into the garage, you need to help Lorik. Go to the garage, kill the geth and go. In the complex itself, you will need to activate the VI core. Either complete the Tower of Hanoi style puzzle or spend 100 Omni-Gel to do so. Then you need to activate the reactor and ground communication lines. On the tram, kill the rachni, but first take the elevator down to the survivors and get a pass to the hot laboratories. Activate the cleaning system and run from there. Return to the survivors, ( spoiler) kill them. Go to the end and into the tunnels. Find Benezia. To kill her, you MUST kill the Geth and Asari Special Forces first. DO NOT FIGHT HER. After the battle begins, kill the Azari special forces attacking you, then run to the right and kill the geth and special forces. After talking with Benezia, she will attack you again. Kill ALL enemies, then kill her.

Long Service Medal / Medal for Long Service - 25

Complete Mass Effect two times on any difficulty.

After beating the game on easy difficulty, or any other, start a new game with transfer existing character. Make sure you change the difficulty settings in the main menu to Hardcore.

ATTENTION: When you start the game, make sure once again that you are on Hardcore difficulty on the Normandy to kill two birds with one stone! If you land on Eden Prime and the difficulty is not Hardcore, you will not receive the corresponding achievement.

Distinguished Combat Medal - 25

Complete Mass Effect once on Hardcore difficulty without changing the difficulty level.

ALL organic enemies will have resistances. They will shoot very accurately and tear you to pieces. Use cover often, but watch out for missiles. Use Specter Master gear and lots of biotic abilities. All enemies have the same level as you.

Medal of Valor / Medal for Valor - 50

Complete Mass Effect once on Insane difficulty without changing the difficulty level.

Cm. " Long Service Medal" And " Outstanding Battle Medal».

Note: ALL organic enemies will have resistances. They will shoot very accurately and tear you to pieces. Use cover often, but watch out for missiles. Use Specter Master gear and lots of biotic abilities. Well, so that life doesn’t seem like raspberries, all enemies will have a level higher than yours.

Pistol Expert / Pistol Expert - 10

Get 150 kills with the Pistol.

The pistol is available to all classes, and this achievement is easiest to obtain if you immediately start using the pistol. Regardless of the class, upgrade your Pistol so that the Marksman skill unlocks - it will greatly help you in obtaining the achievement. When you get the skill, use it as often as possible, this will make the gun much more effective. Even if you are not playing as a soldier or a class with specialized weapon training, this achievement can still be obtained. The main thing is to attach as many accuracy improvements as possible to weapons that you do not know how to use, and all stabilizers to the sniper rifle. This, of course, is not as comfortable as playing a specialized class, but it’s better than nothing at all. Also, kills of partners do not count.

Note: Sentinels are not trained to use pistols, but they do receive pistol bonuses from their class skills.

Statistics for each weapon carry over between playthroughs and careers. Even if you don't manage to get 150 kills in one playthrough, what you've already achieved will carry over to another playthrough.

Shotgun Expert / Shotgun Expert - 15

Get 150 kills with the Shotgun.

Cm. " Pistol Expert» for details.

Shotgun training is only available to Soldiers and Guardians, but the achievement can be done by anyone. Try to get as close to your enemies as possible. It is most convenient to fight with Husks and Torian Crawlers, since they themselves run up close.

Assault Rifle Expert / Automatic Weapons Expert - 15

Get 150 kills with the Assault Rifle.

Cm. " Pistol Expert» for details.

Only Soldiers can learn to use Assault Rifles, but the best ones can basically be used by any class. But any other class will have to concentrate on improving accuracy and also be mindful of overheating. Assault rifles overheat very quickly if you don't keep an eye on it.

Sniper Expert / Expert in sniper rifles - 15

Get 150 kills with the Sniper Rifle.

Cm. " Pistol Expert» for details.

Soldiers and Infiltrators are the only classes that can learn to use sniper rifles, but with enough improvements other classes can use them in one way or another. Regardless of the grade, focus on improving stability so the scope doesn't wobble too much. There's a chance that even with the upgrades he'll still be wobbly, so he might have to learn to aim like that. It's difficult, but doable.

Lift Mastery / Lifting Mastery - 15

Use the biotic's Raise ability 75 times.

Create an Adept character as they can use all biotic abilities. Travel to the Citadel and target the Citadel Express. Use Lift, Throw, Warp, Singularity, Stasis and Barrier (although you can just turn it on while running). Then wait until the abilities are restored and repeat the procedure until you receive the achievements. An adrenaline rush will make the situation easier, as it immediately restores all abilities.

Note: Ally abilities do not count towards this achievement.

Throw Mastery / Throw Mastery - 15

Use the biotic's Throw ability 75 times.